Of Heels and Harvest

The latest Palin vs. Media flap has to do with legs. Some pretty good-looking legs, I would say. Reuters has published a photo of the Governor--her legs, anyway--in a somewhat suggestive photo that has stirred up a lot of angry comments from women. OK, who takes a photo like this of a political candidate? People who want to discredit her intelligence by focusing on her attributes (physical, that is)? An odd strategy I must admit.

I find this picture to be somewhat reminiscent of a famous image from the mid-60s. This is, of course, the movie poster from The Graduate with Anne Bancroft's lovely leg being ogled by Dustin Hoffman (a very young Dustin Hoffman). I admit the layout is different, but I think the implication is the same. I leave you to determine what that implication is.

So I ask again, who takes a photo like this of a political candidate? Apparently Reuters. Check out the site. There are many, many very normal, very appropriate images of Palin there, but also several of her legs. Personally, my favorite shows off the great red shoes she was wearing during the Vice Presidential debate. Man, I love those shoes! And you bet I've been looking for a pair of my own.

Great legs sporting great shoes, however pleasant to look at, doesn't seem to cut it with most female Palin supporters, though. After all, we never see photos of Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton in a skirt and heels. (Although, in terms of the latter, this may be a good thing.)

As much as I blog about politics, I actually do think about other things during the day. Every morning and evening as I drive to and from work along rural roads, I am struck with the beauty of the seasons. Much of my drive takes me past farms with fields that are dedicated primarily to corn and soybeans during the growing months. This morning, I noticed for the first time this autumn that the harvest is being brought in. Some might see this as a harbinger of winter, but I see it as the introduction to the most beautiful season of all.

There has always been something about autumn that captivates me. Its blazing colors, its bittersweet ambiance, the cool nights and the orange harvest moon cause me to wish that the season would last indefinitely. I see on my calendar that the full moon will appear midweek, next week. The best evenings to view the harvest moon are cool and almost clear. An intermingling of a few clouds provides the orb with textures among which to hide and peek out.

Perhaps next week when the moon is full, I can set aside an evening to leave politics to the politicians and simply enjoy my favorite season.