October

October is a bittersweet month, always has been. My first collie when I was a kid - she was killed by police after being injured in traffic in October. How we found out was a First Nation's girl I went to school with told me she saw my injured dog, then later we phoned police.

October is legal separation from my husband when I was very young - his choice, not mine.

The upside - this month reminds me of Led Zeppelin for some reason. I got my first Led Zep album in the mail years ago on an Autumn day. There was only one record store in Kelowna at that time and they didn't have it. Now this city is like Metropolis.

October is apples, and packinghouses. Years ago we could smell the apples in the air as many fruit packinghouses were going full tilt day and night...the area was full of orchards. Not now, the last remaining packinghouse is not even very busy.

Summer was hot in August and I relaxed at my fave beach in between working two jobs. Here's a pick of my solitary female companion who visited me sometimes.

Bad things happened in 3's. First, my good friend Ria was airlifted to Vancouver because of a brain anureysm in June. She was at rehab here in town and is recovering well. She was near death. Next in June, my 87 year old neighbour who has lived next to me at the townhouses for 22 years - suffered a stroke, is paralyzed on one side and she no longer lives here. She moved to a nice group home though, and I've visited her when I could.

In mid September one of my sisters (I have 2), who just retired in June here in Kelowna after 37 years teaching - she's 60 - was suddenly diagnosed with an agressive malignant brain tumor. She's just had a biopsy and now things are not good. She's terminally ill, cannot speak in sentences, can't read or write and has no short term memory. My elderly mother and I are with her all the time. I'm off work on medical leave. I hope she improves after the swelling goes down...but prognosis is not positive. We can only hope she isn't in too much pain. On the weekend her daughter quit university to stay home...her decision was not difficult she said.

My sister loved these flowers when she visited my house. They're wild, like ladyslippers or small orchids, bumblebees are obsessed with them, and now in October the seed pods pop open when touched lightly. The plan was to plant a row of these tall flowers along my sister's fence in her yard next Spring. I don't know if she's going to be with us then...we can only hope.