The rain kept the sky dark all morning, and poured so meanly Suzi wouldn't follow me and Charlie, she stayed indoors! while we went out into the thick of it and were quickly soaked, head to tail, but splashing along the path, we kept looking for something to lift our soggy spirits, when, as if called there, we slogged into the swamp and the branches of bunches of wet red berries found us, emanating light as if wanting to cheer us up, and they did, even though I stood in cold water up to my ankles to get a close-up look at them dripping fat bright drops of rain. We walked soggily on, almost our usual amount of time, and just when we needed another pick-me-up, I saw the red leaves arranged like a toy on the forest floor standing up straight looking just like a pinwheel, and then we were rain blasted and happy to soak on home to dry towels, a hot fire, family and a holiday mood in the house. I haven't kneaded bread in some years, so I baked some from scratch, and the November day smelled fine from the yeast and the cinnamon, the pies and the cookies and pizzas we cooked 'til our legs ached and we ate treats until bedtime, goodnight.

All photos and text copyright Kelly DuMar 2017