Colour Memory

A bin of squash from Fireweed Farm in Merville

The grey season is upon us...

I think of the mouse-poet named Frederick in the children's book by the author and illustrator, Leo Lionni. While the other field mice are busy getting ready for winter, Frederick doesn't particularly want to help. Instead, he spends his time drinking in the bright colours of summer. When winter comes, Frederick conjures those brilliant days with his gift of language, nourishing his fellow mice just as much as the nuts and seeds they have put by.

What colours have you saved from the sunnier seasons? How are you bringing colour into your life on a daily basis?

In a secondhand store in Victoria, I found a tablecloth, the colour of autumn gold. Now that I have filled a basket with local squash and set it on the table, on the cloth, I feel ready for the darker days. Each of the squash has its own particular shape and personality. They call out to be drawn and painted, before ending up in a soup.