Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Fog Stole My Feet

Oh October, how you beguile me. One moment it's radiant light, dancing lady trees, quivering aspen, and scarlet burning bushes. Then the next day you shroud yourself, hiding all but the tiniest glimpse of your splendor.

The fog slithered along the ground, my feet disappearing as if underwater. The soggy, snow covered leaves assured me I was still on terra firma, yet looking down, I was footless, as if walking in water. Thick, goey clam chowder water.

I couldn't see across the street, only the faint glow of the still-lit street light. As I waded through the bright yellow carpet of fallen leaves, a few would pop out of the fog and twirl in front of me. I know where the stairs are, so I was safe, but it was surreal ascending them without seeing my feet.

I turned back to look at my house (the purpose of my venturing forth in the fog to begin with). I could see a tube from the aquaponic garden poking out of the fog towards me. Lumps that were cars. My faint street light. The closest branches of our autumn blaze maple, with a couple of lonely leaves.

Driving was even weirder. 15 mph was about the extent of visibility, but of course cars (without headlights) would come out of nowhere, as if they'd just exited some wormhole. I turned on my fog lights. (Swedish cars need fog lights...)

Pulling into the dreaded carline was bizarre. There was no school. I was in a line going nowhere, could only see one car in front of me, and we just crept along. Finally I could make out a flagpole, and the school appeared as I entered the circle, as if just deposited there by some kid done building a Lego set.

I inched my way home and wondered about the extreme contrast from the day before. It didn't escape me that I had only one day of my favorite month left – and I could see very little of it. It's as if October was saying, “Pay attention! Look closely! I'm still here, but not for long. Cherish the day.”

Today she's back in her full glory for one more showy day. I'm crunching through my dancing leaves again, marveling at the now blood red burning bushes around every corner, and wishing that time would stand still, just a little longer.


~Tina

14 comments:

Andrew Leon said...

Even out here in fog country, I don't see fog like that very often, although I have seen it pouring over the mountains on more than one occasion.
When I was a kid, though, it used to rain that hard in LA. Not so that I couldn't see my feet but so that it looked like someone had hung curtains across the front porch. The world just ended in a hard line.

Unknown said...

Nice!
Fog alway makes me think of that scary movie where the school bus goes through it and the kid become evil.
Maybe because its Halloween?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That would be one surreal day...

Hart Johnson said...

Oh, this was gorgeously written! I am so not ready for the weather to turn, but you make it appealing and spooky.

Brian Miller said...

today was wonderful....mid 70s with a nice breeze....pretty crazy weather we have been having though...one extreme to the next...fog is cool...it adds so much mystery...it made the mountains look frosted the other morning...

Jo said...

Beautifully described Tina. Haven't seen fog that thick in many years. September is my favourite month, but I do - usually anyway - enjoy October.

klahanie said...

Dear human, Tina,

Despite the fog, this wonderful story was clearly written. Very well done, my human friend.

Happy Howloween!

Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! :)

Andrea said...

Reading this while listening to the wind and pouring rain. It is hard to believe it is even morning with the darkness....your poetic words have nearly lulled me back to sleep.

JoJo said...

We'd be so buried in fog in San Francisco that sometimes it felt like we were on an island cut off from the world. I loved seeing it blowing past the street lights at night. I loved the SF fog.

Anonymous said...

I remember as a child we used to get real thick fogs, very frightening.
Good to read post.

Yvonne.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tina .. love the description .. thick pea-soupers of my childhood years were horrid ... but the wispy dangerous grey fogs and mists we have now are scary ... I remember driving many a mile by the cat's eyes ...

Thankfully I wimp out now - no need to be stupid ... as I've seen ... some idiot overtake and then be hit head on - a very shaking experience ... worse for some .. they are probably haunting us now All Soul's time ...

Sad .. but loved your description .. we have sun, then dark clouds - more squalls and wind on the way .. cheers Hilary

Anonymous said...

Great descriptions -- big fan of fall, and we have a lot of fog here on the coast. Not as many trees changing their colors, though.

Anonymous said...

Love your descriptions of this Tina. Fog is such an odd phenomenon, especially when it's 'clam chowder' thick. Glad you were able to (safely) appreciate it, and take time to enjoy the end of October.

Thanks for sharing this! :-)

The Pedestrian Writer

Anonymous said...

I love the way you told your story - drew me in from the first word to the last. And oh how I remember fog from living in California. Not here much...we're just enjoying cooler temps and being able to hang outside again.