Festivals, Pumpkins, and a Winter Day

I can’t decide what to call this – Pumpkin Season or Winter Surprise or Festival Fun.

This weekend the weather changed drastically from mild to windy and cold. I refused to turn on heat in my house. I love the coolness, but Tiger, my cat, having no warm hearth to curl up on, has taken to my bed. She is the first cat I’ve ever had that wants to sleep with me. I don’t like having a cat on my bed. I don’t like having a dog on my bed having had a poodle for 19 years that thought our king sized bed was all his. Tiger is looking for warmth and that is why she has moved in, and she is so cute curled up sleeping that I just don’t have the heart to chase her away. I know what being cold feels like.

At the 34th Indian Summer Festival in Suches, GA the wintry weather made manning the Netwest booth quite a challenge. I arrived there around 10:30 a.m. and found Netwest member, Joan Howard, had been there since 8:30. Her hands trembled from the cold. Robert King came shortly after Joan and he was bundled up with a warm jacket. The cold wind whipped through our little canopy tent, blowing books off the table, blowing brochures, framed book covers, sending everything on the table flying.

Some part of the canopy structure broke. We tied it back together with a plastic bag. The three of us sat in the sun and had a good time visiting and talking about writing. And – in spite of the cold wind, we sold some books, met some nice people and helped spread the word about Netwest.
Later driving home, I enjoyed big orange displays of pumpkins in yards, in front of stores, and remembered that I fell in love with these mountains a life time ago when we used to come here on vacation -- always in the fall. We loved the festivals, the music, and the friendly folk in the small towns.
The festivals have lost their luster for me, but autumn is glorious with the trees melding into mosaic patterns, brilliant in the sun. Life goes on.