October Connections

Late October connections with my fellow citizens, with my neighborhood, my family, Mother Earth, places through which we travel.

State Line Scenic Lookout near Alpine, New Jersey.

We made the most of our bonus late October pseudo-summer day.

We voted early (well, in my case, by absentee ballot - I had forgotten there would be early voting, and the new change in New York law - different from the COVID peak - requires using the absentee ballot if that was requested, one or the other method without optionality; I was turned away at the polling site when I tried to vote early, then went back to drop off the ballot). Go out and vote, especially if anything in this blog resonates!

Then Sis and I rewarded ourselves for our completed civic duties with brunch in the neighborhood - eggs Benedict Blue Mezze style for me, a veggie omelette for her. We may have eaten there once before, but not often, so it felt new. Love outdoor seating on a gorgeous day.

And, jealous of all the fall foliage photos by a certain photographer who's breezing through town waiting for a new deployment, and knowing my family will miss not only Election Day but the changing leaves, as well, with upcoming travel, I managed to rally the parentals and Lil' Bro and Sis to head to New Jersey for leaf peeping and forest bathing and recommuning with Mother Earth in one of her most beautiful seasons - yay for Autumn! 

Our tried and tested spot is just over the bridge in New Jersey, with a basically flat, paved path - hiking lite, very, very lite. Would I like a more adventurous hike? Sure. But I'll take what I can get, and stick with the band that I got.

Desperately trying to savor all the seasons, and time... 

...Papa Rooster didn't recall having been at that spot, though we've gone several times before. I don't know whether he remembered it by the end. But he enjoyed it, so that's a win.

Seasonality means relishing what is here in the moment, accepting that things change, that people change, that life marches ahead. That happens in all aspects. The leaves fall, and room is made for new ones after a bare Winter. (Likely I won't see the nomadic photographer this trip, or maybe ever, and I am becoming more readily ok with that - as I must. He, too, is focusing on his beloveds.)

And, since we were already headed in that direction to get home, we capitalized on already being in New Jersey and stopped in Fort Lee for a Korean dinner (the parentals like Korean) - a new-to-us small city, leading to a circumstance-selected restaurant that was fantastic! Kooksoo Noodles delivered (once we figured out how - tech-enabled screen selection - and what to order; rolling with the new waves...), and yielded for most of us leftovers for another meal.

A most wonderful way to spend an unexpectedly warm and sunny day. Almost perfect.