![Photograph of the leaf of a western red cedar, brown at the tips and green in the middle, lying on a scratched and stained work table in the sunlight and the shadows of the cedar tree.](https://i0.wp.com/joepallen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240926_jpallen_2783-6.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&ssl=1)
![on the work table/faint shadow of the cedar/after the storm](https://i0.wp.com/joepallen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240929_jpallen_haiku-3.jpg?resize=1000%2C218&ssl=1)
I am guessing it is Friday. Since I retired I’ve lost track of the days. I think it is Friday because of the activity after a few quiet evenings. There is the sound of children laughing and crying. The scent of an outdoor grill. Suddenly a crowd cheers and there is a big “boom” indicating the local football team has scored. For a moment there is a silent shudder through the harvested Palouse hills. I think to myself, it is time to prepare the garden bed to plant garlic in the coming weeks.