Loretta Carpio-Carr: Happy Autumn!

My neighborhood in Sonoma’s west side has a lot of foot traffic – students walking to and from school, patients going to their medical appointments, pet owners walking their dogs, shoppers carrying their grocery bags. I see them pass daily from my kitchen windows, and I can wave or say “Hi” to those I recognize. They have formed a familiar part of my life, a relatively peaceful routine, until the morning two carts of youthful passengers enlivened the scene. 

Imagine multiple rows of stroller seats connected into one parade buggy. Sometimes six little ones would be rolling down the sidewalk pushed by one strong, young woman. Sometimes two buggies with precious passengers turned the corner. Scanning the huge world around them, their little faces turned to look at whatever caught their attention as they passed. I was enamored.

After a few days, I looked forward to their arrival and didn’t leave the house until they had come by. One morning I finally went outside and asked the adults where their group was from. Turns out they were members of an infant care program at a local elementary school out for some fresh air and environmental exploration. I think my teacher’s instinct kicked in, and I told my husband who also enjoyed seeing the children, “I have an idea.” 

I wanted to build an autumn display in the corner of our front yard. While my husband searched for hay bales, I hit all the local thrift stores in search of scarecrows – although nothing scary because I didn’t want to frighten the babies – only give them something fun to look at.  So they had to be friendly scarecrows. 

Next we needed pumpkins, orange ones, yellow and white ones, big and small ones along with fall colored dahlias and marigolds to garnish the expanding exhibit. 

Soon the carts full of inquisitive eyes stopped regularly in front of our house to see the funny looking figures with strands of straw for hands. Seeing a teaching opportunity, the young teachers posed questions. “See the calabazas?  See the scarecrows? How many scarecrows? One, two, three scarecrows.” 

Or they might say, “See the yellow flowers? See the orange flowers?” as they pointed out the difference. Some children would point and giggle while others just stared in wonderment. 

When it was time to move on, the adults and children alike would wave goodbye to their new scarecrow friends, and my heart would feel so happy that they were enjoying their visits. But it didn’t stop there. 

Multiple other individuals passing by commented on how fun the yard looked – teenagers on bikes, women driving by, grown men in wheelchairs, old timers using their walkers, all smiled and said how much they enjoyed the display. Even little dogs trotting down the sidewalk would stop and sniff through the fence at the new, almost human looking creatures. As it turned out, one final unexpected decoration came from our own tabby cat who would sometimes lay in the yard as if she were the star of the show. 

Everyone I encountered as a result of our autumn decorations acknowledged the current need for happiness and fun. I thought I had started this project for the enjoyment of others, but these small connections have brought me so much pleasure and fulfillment. 

I can’t change the fear or uncertainty of the world situation, but if I can make someone smile using straw and gourds, I know it was a worthy endeavor.