Bountiful Color!

......The leaves are changing and probably at their peak right now! I love all of the color! At the same time, the leaves are falling and raking is a continual task until the last ones have given up their struggle and let go their stronghold on the limbs. There are messages to be created from that imagery but I won't pursue them now. You've probably heard enough of that in church.
I just looked out my kitchen window and observed a grey squirrel busy at work, madly digging in one of my flower barrels, burying his treasure which I expect came from the Red Oak tree in our back yard. There will no doubt be an oak sappling in that barrel come next spring. The squirrels are God's planters in the forest. It is too bad their talents are not so appreciated in suburbia which requires that every plant be cultivated and aesthetically purposeful. A tree growing for the sole purpose of providing clean oxygen for us to breath is not enough. Today I have no plans to dig his treasure up just to thwart that process. It will be transplanted next spring to a more suitable place.
Autumn is a grand time in Kentucky. I have had several weeks of much music and festivals to attend. I have not been so busy with crafting this year and my energies are distributed between that and my music. I am working on Christmas music right now. I did not learn a great deal of it last year as I was just beginning and picking up the basic way of playing dominated my activity then. But this year is different. I haven't so many other things to distract me and I can be more focused. I think Christmas is the hiatus time for dulcimer players because the" sweet sound" of the dulcimer is never more beautiful than then.....