Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Brisk Comments about Fall Weather

Writing about the weather seems like it will be inherently boring, but seriously, we're having better late fall weather up here than we had early fall weather. More of it, at least. Even when it's overcast it's the kind of mild, white overcast that makes the yellow trees stand out. I never knew late fall weather like this, or else I've managed not to observe it. It's like discovering a new season that's half fall and half winter. Usually when I think late fall I think of Thanksgiving in Rochester and all the freezing rain it involves. We had maybe one cumulative great week of early fall weather this year. Late fall is making up for it, which I didn't see coming, and I'm already in a good mood anyway.

Like Friday night, around 5, the sky pitched into this silvery pale purple, streaked with clouds, and there was that enthralling wintery calm, but still the autumn crispness. I had to leave my desk and walk over to the Green and just observe it for a few minutes. People walk through it on the way home from work but don't pay it any attention. The city has its big Christmas tree up on the Green now, but they haven't decorated it yet. It's not a commercial season.

Saturday I went hiking up at Sleeping Giant with my friends Emily and Sarah (different Sarah from the one who might not be spoken of again). Up there about the only foliage left lingering is the slender, ovalish yellow leaves of some tree that is very familiar but that I can't identify, on account of not knowing my trees. The trails were padded with crunchy brown leaves. It's satisfying to tromp through them, and it reminds me of being a kid again. We had beers and pork sandwiches in town afterwards. It was a good day! You stop caring that the sun sets at 5:15 this way.

3 Comments:

Blogger Don said...

Having grown up in Hamden, I have lots (and lots) of memories of Sleeping Giant. We used to go up to the castle on the belly when we were kids, which is appropriately followed by a trip to the Glenwood for a clam strip sandwich.

For those of you who don't have any context, Sleeping Giant is a mini-mountain that semi-looms in the background of Hamden, which has mythical origins AND a park AND a WPA-funded lookout tower slash castle at the top. What else does a kid need?

11/17/2009 11:20 AM  
Blogger Jack said...

Oooh, clam strip sandwiches. Haven't tried 'em -- I'll have to make that stop after the next hike.

Wentworth's must have been there when you were a kid too, I'd guess? I don't know how long it's been established, but it seems like it would be a while. That is some fine ice cream right there.

The actual "sleeping giant" contours never struck me as very believable. But we still got a little skeeved out the other weekend when we realized we were hiking through what would be the crotch.

11/17/2009 12:42 PM  
Blogger Don said...

You can also get whole clam sandwiches, if you don't mind eating whatever a clam ate. I think they also serve Hummel hot dogs, which are, based on my search, the best brand of hot dog in existance.

Wentworth's was not only there, but our friend Elaine worked there all through high school and thus we generally got either free or ridiculously oversized ice cream.

11/19/2009 11:45 AM  

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