Thoughts about people, places and events. The seasons. The signs of fall are everywhere. Although the daytime temperature still goes above 80 degrees (27 degrees C), there is a feeling that soon such days would be behind us. The mornings are taking longer to show lightness and the darkness arriving earlier and earlier in the evening. Looking out of the window I can see that the leaves of the gingko trees on the street are beginning to turn; tinges of yellow becoming visible in the midst of the green. Time soon to forget about the air conditioner and think of relighting the pilot of the gas furnace instead to prepare for the onset of the cold weather. Then there are other things. It is time for hearty foods----stews; roasted vegetables; soups that warm the belly. The occasional gimlet or a shandy in the afternoon replaced by a cognac at night. Running shorts and tee shirts giving way to tights and long-sleeve jerseys. Foraging for wild mushrooms instead of sitting on a bank watching the bobber on a fishing line or wading in a stream and casting flies. The crispness in the air and clear, blue skies, more frequent than in warm weather, make hiking in the foothills very enjoyable. And then there is the ritual of planting bulbs and sweet peas. Hindi (the official language of India) is not my mother tongue. It does not have the sweetness and cadence of Bengali and Urdu. But there is one Hindi word that I like. The Hindi for fall is "patjhar". It means falling leaves. The "t" has a soft sound which the English language has no provision for. Lovely word. "When it is autumn do we get spring weather, Or gather may of harsh northwindish time?" ---Ezra Pound, "Silet" The weapons of war. The images of tanks and RPGs are so ugly and brutish. And what about those who use them to kill and maim others? Is there much difference between killing of innocent civilians by a suicide bomber and laser guided bombs? So much violence in different parts of our planet. The reports of dead and injured have a numbing effect. Some people cease to care; others are in denial. Just a few megalomaniacs responsible for much of it. What is especially sickening are the lies used to justify their actions. "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee" ----John Donne, Devotions XVII Sunday morning: Bach's Cantata No.131 (Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir) on the CD player.