Brambles Two Ways

 OilMan went off to play golf in the dark and I went back to sleep. When I emerged  I found OilMan was sitting in the living room drinking coffee. "Frost" he said. "Tee time at eight". Off he went again only to be back again ten minutes later. "Forgot my clubs" said he loading them into the back of the car. I had the feeling that perhaps the golf game was not meant to be, but he seemed determined, and I have given up, as I have given up on many things, on trying to understand OilMan's relationship with the game....

I was enjoying the light on the remaining leaves and wondering why the leaves remained on one tree, or even half of one tree, and not on the one right next to it. I always thought it was temperature related but I'm now thinking that the light has a lot to do with it as well. 

The much reviled brambles that grow in profusion around here were a case in point. One set of leaves was unusually eye-catching in its red and yellow livery, whilst the section just behind it was still green but wore an attractive coat of furry frost. One branch inevitably reached out and firmly attached itself to my sleeve, which was preferable than having it firmly hooked into my bare flesh.

I met my neighbor for coffee and realized that the fall color is almost certainly a combination of light and temperature because they go together. It was busy and all the tables inside were taken, so I took a chance on sitting in front which is a sun trap. I was soon taking off my down jacket and wishing I wasn't wearing a sweater, but as soon as I went around the corner to the shady side of the building and my car the down jacket went right back on again.

The outside tables at Acre are awkwardly arranged and I asked the rather formidable looking women sitting at the next one if she minded if I moved my chair a little closer to her to get the sun out of my eyes. "Not at all" she said, "it would probably be good if we all got a little closer to each other".

"Amen to that" I said.