Berries

Joanne is back. She spent the summer working in Tofino on Vancouver Island for Parks Canada and now she has returned, so this morning, I went into the Nature Park to see her and Lori. We walked the trails.
The Real Scientists - for this is how we think of them - were removing their bug traps. There were a first few autumn mushrooms, at least one that would have given you a trip - possibly to the hospital - had you licked it.

Although blueberries are the berries of summer, the bushes still had fruit, beautiful dusty denim blue fruit. And blackberries, wild ones, such as these, and cultivated ones.

The forest has changed, the bog, more marshy, the greens deeper. I love the autumn and I love the forest, and right now, with the leaves just on the point of changing colour, is not an ending, but a beginning.

The pumpkins, seemingly early this year, are already spread across one of the fields we pass in the morning, and the greengrocer has small ones for sale. Fruit of the earth. One of the two Buddhist temples we pass on the way to taking Laurence to work, has orange lanterns all along its fence, they look like paper pumpkins. It also has flags all along the perimeter, but no way for me to tell what it's about, no French, no English, no time to look whilst driving.
I love the roofs of the temples, the colour of turmeric, it even looks like the texture of turmeric.

This morning, a friend who never sends on anything that says 'send this on' sent me a prayer. I also never send on anything that smacks of the chain, but I also was moved to send this one on. This was the prayer of Saint Theresa of Calcutta.

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Somehow, it just seemed like the right day for it.