Must Be The Season of the Witch

  Every Season brings its own feelings and moods. The Fall is prelude to winter and has a feeling of melancholy. It has always been my season for incredible change. Although introspective I have always fixed my star on great adventures. Often mountain adventures, or a time of travel for me, the fall has lately been my respite. The changing of the colors and loss of leaves to stark and barren trees brings the hope of a new and joyous spring. I like to write in the fall. Maybe because I get to wear sweaters. Wrap my arms around myself and find some type of overlook or mountain to look at the world from. Often I found myself, at Thatcher Park in the Helderbergs, looking back at Albany, New York and up into the Adirondacks. I loved that view of Albany, or making my way over to Old Stage Coach Road just below Thompsons Lake and have a different view of the city. It was a clearer view of the Plaza in down town Albany.

   I remember that I used to ride a 15 speed bike from Colonie up into Thatcher Park and then to my cabin at the lake. There is a long right turn at the base of a giant hill that climbs into the park. You climb for perhaps a couple of miles and you are geared very low because of the steepness. Just as you were cresting the summit there was a small house on the left and in that house lived a 3 legged German Shepherd. He was mean and did not like people on bikes. You had to figure that since he only had three legs, he had a reason to be mean. The first time I peddled past he was asleep on the porch. I remember saying, "hey, buddy," and waking him up. Big mistake. Not only was he mean but he was pretty fast for only having three legs. I was just barely able to out race him. You were exhausted from the climb, but you had to ask yourself to reach into the reserves and pump like crazy or you were going to be bit and most likely hurt bad. He meant to hurt you. German Shepherds don't mess around and he was serious about doing bodily harm. The first summer that I lived there I rode my bike to the Lake three times a week. I always made it past him, but it never got any easier. The more in shape I became, it seems the faster he became. I did enjoy my early evening swims in the Lake after getting all sweaty from out running my nemesis.

   Don't know why I thought of Withes and the fall. Except that Halloween comes around and of course it is a time of bewitching. I guess perhaps I have been bewitched a fall or two.

   Great News! Al's Blog says Arapahoe Basin is getting snow.

A Song Featuring Carlos Santana;

Put Your Lights On: Everlast with Carlos Santana