fall

It's my favorite time of year. The trees are changing colors, there's a nip in the air... It's time for football games and scuffling through leaves. We're having "Babushke Summer" right now. Obviously, it's the Russian equivilent of our Indian Summer. It got it's name, I'm reliably informed, because this time of year is like a woman who is having her last flush of beauty and vigor before she lapses into winter and old age. (Just an observation: It seems this always happens right after the city officials have, after being faced with an early winter onset and many cold, damp days, decided to turn on the city's centralized heat. As soon as the heat is turned on the weather warms up. Конечно. Ето нормально. Of course. It is normal.)

Yesterday was a perfect autumn day. It was sweater weather--cool and sunny. I went and walked through the garden next to The Church on Spilled Blood and the Summer Gardens. The light was just golden. It was heavy and soft--like a kitten who's fallen asleep on your chest and is purring contentedly.


I wasn't the only person who was out trying to both capture and enjoy the afternoon. I met many people with cameras and easels. I'll share more once I sort through the masses of photos I took, but I'll leave you with one from the Summer Garden.