Good morning, and welcome to Autumn, at last! Traditionally a time for change, Autumn has always signaled the beginning of a renewal of life to me.

Though I live in a land where seasons are divided by how moist things are; a place where you can find seas of both brine and concrete, my heart resides elsewhere. Wide open spaces, with tame deer that like to nibble on rosebushes and enjoy a nice salt lick. Trees colored with every warm hue possible… golds, oranges and deep rust-reds. Someday I’ll be there, content in a room lit by purest moonlight, the sounds of acorns tapping the roof, randomly.

Here’s hoping that everyone enjoys the coming season, the changing of colors, Hallowe’en, new scents and the cooling, snuggly times ahead.

The last night of summer was a nearly perfect one for a walk. The 7-11 had the Diet Pepsi Slushie machine working just right, and the air was balmy, but not hot. It could be my mind playing tricks, but Autumn is on its way, for honest and true. I sat by the new river for a few, and looked into the water, just thinking… it amazes me that there are so many quiet, natural places in the city. Things laid out in strips and pieces.. it didn’t feel landscaped at all, but very natural. I think that I prefer to visit the river over the ocean, for whatever reason, despite the sea’s wonderful breezes. The river is more serene, relaxed.

Today’s Moment of Voodoo: The Soul.

In the Voudoun religion of Haiti, one’s existence is made up of five parts: n’ame, the spirit of the flesh; z’etoile, the star of destiny; corps cadavre, the mortal flesh; gros bon ange, a general life force that is recycled and not unique to each person, and ti bon ange (or petit bon ange), one’s personal essence and the source of one’s aura. Only the gros bon ange and ti bon ange are seen as being part of the soul, but all five parts are regarded as important in both life and death, so the distinction is somewhat blurred. The corps cadavre can be made into a zombi (zombie), while the ti bon ange can be captured to create a kind of spectral undead called a zombi astral (spirit zombie).

The CDC reports on who died of what during Hurricane Charley. A total of 31 deaths of which 17 “involved blunt trauma caused by injuries from falling trees, flying debris, and destroyed physical structures” and one drowning.

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