Decline and Fall It's the autumn of our old republic

As I read the latest headlines reporting the ongoing implosion of the domestic economy and the ominous signs of a pending explosion in the international sphere, I watch a leaf fall from a very great height. The redwoods out here are like the pillars of a temple built by Titans, and a leaf caught in a distant branch has a long way to fall. I mistake it for a golden butterfly at first, but as it wafts downward, and my tired old eyes come into focus, I see it is a leaf. It's Indian summer out here in California wine country, the best time of year, and it's easy to turn away from the news of a collapsing civilization – because what's really collapsing is my retaining wall, and that ain't good!