Hard to believe it's October already, but that nostalgic time of year is upon us, we're reminded when we smell the acridity of leaves falling, view the magnificence of autumn-coloured trees, experience shorter daylight hours, hear geese off in the distant sky, honking, flying in formation, and hear the sounds of smaller wings and shrill cries of smaller birds making their epic fall departure flying throughout the night hours to southern climes.

October is the month when two of our children were born.  It's a month that always seems to creep up behind us, taking us by surprise.  We've sent off birthday cards to the boys with the modest financial gifts we usually send them, a mere token of our love for them.  One may arrive in time, before our youngest leaves Vancouver for his trip to Toronto, then Montreal, and then to see us for five days. 

In Toronto he will visit with his brother and sister-in-law and with some long-time friends.  Then on to Montreal to sit on a doctoral committee.  And then to Ottawa, to spend some time with us.  He's just come back from a week's trip to Colorado where he took part in a scientific enquiry revolving about the fish habitat in the Colorado River, in part of the Grand Canyon.  I anticipate some very beautiful photographs will accompany him.

Hard to believe that our oldest son is approaching fifty-three, our youngest forty-nine, with our daughter sandwiched between.  It seems only yesterday that we were ourselves so amazed that we had reached the half-century mark ourselves.