October 2023 Backyard Bulletin

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We're deep into a nearly perfect autumn in the Methow Valley, which, for me, is defined by being just long enough to savor, while still wearing its ephemerality on its brightly colored sleeve--radiating warmth through flaming orange leaves, while encouraging gentle acclimation to long nights, and providing cold mornings as a reminder that it's probably time to finish up those outdoor projects you put off all summer. October is also a time for reflection.

I recently came across a rather silly article that provided some surprisingly profound reminders. The author had interviewed a man whose friends described as "the lord of autumn." Starting at Labor Day, he transforms his home into an "autumn empire" full of corn, gourds, and pumpkin spice candles. When asked what was so special about the season, he proclaimed that "for a former 'goth kid' fall is the ideal time to reflect on mortality, and appreciate that decay is both inevitable and beautiful." Recognizing that life itself is ephemeral adds even more weight to savoring the beauty this time of year. Morbid yet joyful, which is precisely what October is all about.

-Bridger Layton