It was one of those dark steamy October mornings when the dawn mist crept up from the Housatonic and inundated Shreve's Crossing.
Frances Sill Wickware
from "The American Thing"
in Woman's Home Companion
January 1934
We don't live in Shreve's Crossing and are nowhere near the Housatonic River, but when RH took this picture of a turkey family visiting the pond I thought of this quote I had scribbled down when reading one of my old magazines. I can't put it into pretty words, and I tried, but the picture and the words affected me. They sort of belong together, don't you think?
what a hauntingly beautiful picture that is. I have always loved mist and heavy fog. it's like being in another world. it's magical. my Zeke and I took a long walk one morning in just that kind of weather. we got lost. but it still felt wonderful! I will never forget it. just because it was with my beloved Zeke. and because of the sheer beauty of that quiet morning.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture RH took.
one normally doesn't think of an October morning being steamy. until the last few years anyway! xo
Tammy, I do think it is hauntingly beautiful! And I can so easily picture your beautiful Zeke out walking in the fog with you that morning. I'm glad RH's picture took you back to that day with your Zeke. He must have been such a special dog and I know you'll always miss him.
DeleteHi Tammy, Just a shout out to say hello! I can tell how much you miss Zeke. Dogs are such a part of our life. I want to tell you a funny story. I went to a medium and Sadie came through. After thanking us for her care she said, "You can't replace me". Isn't that just like a Jack Russell? She also haunts my hallway. My daughter in law heard her collar jangling two weekends in a row. Maybe Zeke is around too watching over you.
DeleteThe picture is absolutely stunning. I love early morning fog like that when the day is so fresh. Good for hubby for getting out there with his camera. Ryan tells me how hot it has been in Tennessee this summer. The kids are still swimming in the pool and it's October.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Peggy, I'll tell RH! Ryan is so right, you probably wouldn't want to have been visiting them the last few weeks. But silly me, you're a grandmother so of course you'd have enjoyed it, no matter the temp!
DeleteSo pretty! I love foggy photos and turkeys!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy, I remember telling you yesterday on your fog posting that I'd be doing one in my garden. That will be on the other blog tomorrow but this was taken the same morning by RH. Ours was nothing like the ones you get there and they definitely don't last 3 days. That sounds wonderful to me. I'd want to curl up and watch Alfred Hitchcock movies all day!
DeleteI've always been enchanted by fog, ever since I was a little girl, and now, especially when driving along the mountainous, winding roads to the village, which, of course, is dangerous, but maybe that's part of the allure: the mystery of not knowing or remembering, what's right around the next turn.
ReplyDeleteRH's beautiful photo also has a misty, mysterious quality to it: the turkeys seem to be puzzled by the lingering heat, and the hazy conditions surrounding it. Foraging in the fog for food, further illustrates this mood.
Apparently, according to the author, steamy October days were not unusual, OR mysterious, back then, but we tend to associate the month with the start of the cooler temps of autumn.
In any case, one thing is clear: fog is magical!
Happy weekend, Dewena.
Poppy xoxo
Poppy, I did have to play around with RH's photo since the color shot didn't let the pond show up at all, too foggy. But when I kept trying different black and white effects and graying them out I hit on this one that does show the reflection of the trees in the water.
DeleteI bet you do have some lovely foggy mornings and nights there in the mountain, especially when you travel up in them to some of the spots you've posted pictures of. I remember the snow y'all drove into one day, was it Christmas?
We have cooler temperatures today! Windows open but it's getting kind of warm now so we'll close them up and turn the AC back on as tomorrow is supposed to be hot again. But after that we finally get true October weather, I can't wait! Happy weekend to you!
Beautiful photo and beautiful words! I will send some of our cool air south...it was downright cold today! I think it only made it up to 55 degrees. I had to turn on the heat for the first time today because it was so cold in the house.
ReplyDeleteI saw the picture on FB of you wearing that beautiful fall wrap while out antiquing! And was envious of you! This may be our last 90s degree day for a while, I hope. Going into the 70s tomorrow will be so welcome.
DeleteThe photograph and the words fit perfectly together. Just for fun I looked up the word steaming and perhaps it doesn't necessarily mean that there was steaming heat. Maybe it has this meaning:
ReplyDelete"steam from the kettle: water vapor, condensation, mist, haze, fog, moisture." Maybe it meant a misty morning not a hot, summer heat kind of steam.
Oh Nan, you are so right and the funny thing is that a week after I published this it suddenly occurred to me that the author meant exactly that. But I was just too lazy to try to figure out how to fix it without losing the point of our incredibly hot and misty October morning. And so I let it ride because I had by then slipped into one of my signature absences from blogging.
DeleteI should have known a true New Englander would understand exactly what the author meant! Thank you, dear friend!