When the trees bling
And the colors zing,
Joy is on an upswing.
My heart begins to sing,
My spirit takes wing,
Dancing a highland fling
As if I’m in a fairy ring.

Note: This weekend is Columbus Day Weekend here in New England. We harvest apples, press cider and hike in the woods. The holiday is controversial. In 1492, Columbus sailed the blue. Some claim he “discovered” America, but others argue he came rather late to the party. Asians had crossed the land bridge thousands of years before 1492, and millions already lived in the Americas. Viking and Chinese explorers had already beaten him to the Americas by sea as well. That’s water under the bridge now, and my family has been settled here for hundreds of years. When the leaves change, I am extra-thankful to be here, as magic reveals the luminous color underlying the green. The riverside becomes a place of otherworldly beauty. Whether or not you celebrate Columbus Day as a day of discovery, I hope you discover magic in the world today. It’s there every day, whether or not we recognize it.