I'm off to another soccer game this morning, which will have to be better than Thursday's was. But it will be cold again. We had a frost on Thursday night and then again last night. My cucumbers and tomatoes are dead. My dahlias that hadn't even bloomed yet are dead. But the riotous sunflowers are hanging on to life, and the beets and carrots are firm and beautiful, and the long-haired leeks are flowing into the grass. Soon the honey mushrooms will begin sprouting on roots and logs, and they are one of my favorite crops of the year.

This morning, the sky will be blue, and the blanket I'll be huddling under will be blue, and the trees will be tinged with gold, and no one, I hope, I hope, will get hurt during the game.