Each Sonoma County season brings pleasures and excitements. This autumn’s transformation is dramatic. Light becomes amber, air feels soft, and time seems to speed up. Shadows of the yakkety yak wild geese fly-by prompt us to stop what we’re doing and hurry up, look up.
Beauty lingers; it’s a universe of brown beauty.
We can’t predict cool or hot weather. We unpack winter sweaters just in time for a heat wave. We wilt along with our plants.
When we harbor dry season fire fears and alerts, we become scarecrows.
See *** footnotes for more documentation.
We become tired of dust, which is the least of our worries.
Then, fall’s first raindrops on earth concoct petrichor aromas from dirt, duff, sand, roots, leaves, grasses, dust on grasses. Seems like only a few minutes later when we spy the first teensy sprouts. Here, they’re shown next to the orb, which is a large decanter stopper.****
Here’s a new sprout magnified by the orb.
Green is exciting, so we have a long list of amazing visual refreshments. Are you ….
It’s time for chestnuts to bust out of their spiky, pale green husks.
It’s olive harvest time. This green olive pic is just an excuse to show you nets in Wanda Swenson’s/Gayle Alexander’s orchard. Please see the footnote.*
Most local olives are black, but a few green ones get thrown in the mix.
Apple harvest bounty invites social gatherings with tantalizing apple pies, strudels, butters, sauces and endless chef creativity. **
It’s time for the forest to wake up. For fun–before rain–Jim used to pee on the dry moss and ferns to watch them burst forth with new energy.
When rains begin, the oaks don chartreuse chenille moss sweaters.
Some mosses are knock-yo0ur-socks!!!-off green. I feel like a gawking tourist when Mary Entriken shows me this well-known neighborhood stump.
The Gold Coast’s living roof mosses are awake again.
Sword ferns demand attention.
The rainy season’s saturated green forests and meadows used to be theaters for Jim’s fireworks shows.
There used to be peacocks with iridescent green feathers wandering around at the Pocket Canyon dump.
We used to take excursions to the S.F. Conservatory glass house where green plants thrive all winter long.
When the temperate coastal winter warms up a bit, new growth decorates fir boughs. Too bad we don’t have a pic showing fir tip snips stuck into muffins and cakes in lieu of celebratory candles.
We’ll look through the orb to imagine and wonder…
When will the first poppy leaf fan out?
When will the chrysalis metamorphize?
When will succulents become robust again?
When will weather warm up and winds calm down so we can loll on the beach and patiently sift through sand for seaglass?
How many years will ocean tides take to roll in and out while smoothing jagged glass that was broken in days of yore?
We wonder how many times we will need to whack spring weeds to make a defensible space in summer?
And when will corn silk be ready to spill out of the green husk?
When will the avocado tree blossom and set brand new baby avocados?
When will it be warm enough to discover early morning gutation in the garden?
And how many more shades of green will we celebrate?
And how many more colors of the rainbow will we explore?
I started this story because the color green enchants us. But wait a minute! ~ The all-you-can-eat color carbon buffet is much more. The symbiotic exchange of oxygen created by plant photosynthesis and our carbon dioxide exhalations show we are biologically connected with the forests, mosses, all plants, all of earth’s carbon-based life– and may this be spiritually refreshing.
Ahhh, well, shifting a bit now: we’re nearing the season’s thin veil between worlds where we enter the wild side.
In fact, you might dare to take a peek into the Mummy’s Hand in the Archives of 10/21 (scroll down a little bit.)
Have fun!
TTFN*
translation: Ta Ta For Now
* Olive network progress for Gayle and Wanda:
** Review Juice for a vicarious experience of old timey apple juicing with Zippy and Carolyne Singer–Archives 11/21.
*** Iberian Mascara
**** FYI about the ORB see the previous story, River of Surprise.
Gretchen Butler Wild Art 
Gretchen,
This is absolutely wonderful! May I forward it to a friend here in Oakland who is the California Native Plant specialist in charge of the volunteers who maintain the garden in our neighborhood park.
Regards,
Ken
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Ken, did you receive a prompt positive reply even though I’ve just discovered this path for replies?
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I’m such.a fan of YOU!
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Thank you! We are overdue for contact. I discovered this reply window a few minutes ago–so this is a way late reply, but at least I’m starting new year catching up from the last one. More soon!
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Tim is having heart surgery tomorrow
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beautiful!!
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I love looking over your shoulder as you find beauty, magic and meaning
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beautiful greens! Like mother, like daughter 💚
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Life sustaining and delicious!
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Oh I think this is really terrific, Gretchen. I just love this writing. I made a comment, but Word Press asked me for a password. I don’t have a password, and then when I asked to make a new password they gave me a new user name. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I love this! And that green is my favorite color. Love, clt
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Cathy! thank you
I cannot explain why WP harrasses some of my peeps w/ need for password. That is anmnoying and unfair. But here you are!
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I love your poetry, artistry insights and musings. So much fodder and inspiration.
Bring on the green!
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Gretchen, This is absolutely beautiful! So fun to sit in m snuggly blanket with the dog curled my lap and read this great work. Even though my green will be covered in snow soon enough, I found a little something to keep me tied over (and warm) for the coming season of white and, of course, for this season of spooky! Love you!
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As always, I loved the fun and artistry of your photos and the eloquence and whimsy of your words. Thanks sis!
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Thank you!
I can’t believe how inept I am with e-navigation. This is my first discovery of the proper window for replies. Maybe it is new.
In any case, we listened to musician/singer Loreena McKennitt last night. Do you and Mike already know her? Be sure to look up Nights from the Alhambra on the YOu Tube that includes her band w/ extraordinary instruments.
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Dear Gretchen and Carol (Happy Birthday, Lady!!):
Gretchen, just to let you know …. I’m in the process (pant pant) of moving to SF into a Senior Facility within 10 minutes of my son and his family. It’s pretty daunting, partly because I’m moving into a studio apartment and need to sift/ sort/ choose what to keep and what to let go …. and how.
So I may not be in touch for a bit just because …. Keep me on the mailing-list and know I WILL be in touch.
Meanwhile, if you want to see where I’m going, check out Frank Residences (they have an Assisted Living Wing, but that’s NOT where I’m moving to). The senior residence has only 130 people, is run by a Jewish family and offers, among so much else, 3 meals a day in the dining-room with other residents. I can hardly wait, but I’m too busy to really let it sink in …..
Sending love and hugs to you and Jim, and giving Thanks for technology that will make it easy to stay in touch! Margaret
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Just came back from an end-of-day walk with the dog, marveling at the way the fading light made the dry grasses and fallen leaves glow orange, perfectly matching the rich browns and oranges in my dog’s coat. And then I came home to your meditation on all things green. Lovely!
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Dear Lynne, thank you so much for a glimpse of your day. Susie and I had an afternoon together recently and she always shares some of your many talents i.e. story telling and you positive attitudes., We all appreciate you!
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Thanks for lovely Green blog post, Gretchen sending love to you and Jim
all the best David [Jennifer´s freind}💚🍀🐢 🌲
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