These are terrible times. People are struggling to live, to work and put food on the table. When I walk down to the farmers market by Columbia Presbyterian hospital, I walk by two food banks providing fruit, vegetables and canned goods to a line of waiting people. They were not there before the pandemic.

Our beautiful country is divided, with little hope it seems of uniting. Friends and families are separated not only from the pandemic but because they can no longer talk about the news of the day.

However, the seasons proceed apace, and stun us all with their beauty, no matter what our political affiliations are. Here I am at Cliffdale Farm (a part of the Teatown park complex), walking and looking at fall color. I have been meditating on the idea of positive thinking, how a day can change its colors depending on what I have in MY head.

On this walk, I was walking one way on the long loop while Daniel ran the other way. I was attempting not to get lost (I have a wander-y mind), when just past this field, a young buck deer stood in the path in front of me. He stared at me, turned silently and slowly, and then looked back at me over his shoulder…”come”…and I followed a little bit, holding my breath. He walked a bit more, lifting his white plume of a tail slightly, then dropping it and turning to look at me again. His eyes were so large. I went further down the little wooded path. I followed along after him for a few minutes until he trotted quickly off and I realized I didn’t recognize the path. I was lost! The deer had led me astray–or did I lead me astray? Anyway, I laughed out loud in the woods with no one to hear me but the birds, and retraced my steps to the field that I recognized and went on my way. I am not sure there is a lesson here, and I don’t want to sound too wifty, but I felt like the universe had put that deer in my way to teach me something. When I figure out what it is, I’ll let you know. 🙂