Saturday, October 20, 2007

Boys of summer

Well, the boys of summer have entered into fall. I always have mixed feelings about October.
On the one hand I love the colors and the fact you don't usually have to turn on the heat or the air conditioning. Going apple picking and making apple sauce. It's also baseball playoff time. Which this year is one of the best. Don't believe me? Look who won the NL wild card. Hey, even the Cubs got into it this year. Although that was sort of a mixed blessing for Chicago.
But the fact that it's October means I'll have to buy veggies from the grocery store again. And rake leaves.

I love watching the baseball playoffs, (just not on Fox.) Actually I usually listen to the radio broadcasts with Joe C.
But soon 2007 baseball will only be a fond memory.

As A. Bartlett Giamatti so aptly said, "It breaks your heart. It was designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summertime, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone...then, just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops....and summer was gone."

But this year fall held off. Some days are summer warm here in New England. Shorter yes, but still warm and bright. My garden is still producing. Peppers, a few green tomatos here and there, and fall eggplants still have the taste and memory of summer. The trees are just starting to turn and not too many leaves are in the backyard yet.
And the boys of summer are still playing in Boston.

My Sox won the AL East for the first time since 1995. They swept the Angels in three games and the Cleveland/Boston games made the ALCS the best show on TV. It stands 3 games to 2 with Cleveland on top. But Boston with Beckett on the mound fought back, thanks to amazing pitching and a few timely hits. They forced Game 6. On their home turf no less.

So Game 6 of the ALCS goes to Fenway for Saturday night baseball. Boston baseball is an E-ticket ride from spring training to October.

So for one more weekend there are fresh garden vegetables, sunshine and baseball in New England.