Autumn...

And so it comes to pass that another fall is upon us.  I have begun to lose track of the years, and it takes some thought to calculate how many have come and gone, but one thing appears certain, they do seem to keep right on doing just that.

Fall has begun to show its colors of late, and the early signs promise a heartbreakingly beautiful display for the Fall in this year 2010.

I took these pictures yesterday during a short stroll about the marsh.  I was feeling cranky, tired, depressed and ill.  A good friend told me to go outside and so I did.  I weeded and raked my newest flower bed, got my hands nice and dirty, slipped off my sandals and wiggled my bare toes in the soft, warm soil, then headed out into the marsh.

 It was a good day for a stroll, as autumn days often are.  There was much to see and appreciate in the beauty of the marsh and stream, and it wouldn't do to stride, to rush, to hurry.

Fall seems such a peaceful time, and yet it is a riot of color, of flavors, of sights and sounds.  The entire world appears to be taking stock, storing up, making ready for the long, cold, gray days ahead.  Crops are being harvested, golden-orange pumpkins are stacked at every produce stand, and mums are in bloom. Bushel baskets of apples appear, red and yellow and green, and cider is freshly pressed.

Animals are preparing to hibernate, birds flock southward.  This great flurry of busy-ness will soon be followed by a period of rest.

Today I was out driving, and the colors have grown even brighter and more breathtaking overnight.  In one place, I drove through a shower of brightly-colored leaves that had just fallen. There were so many places I just wanted to stop, get out of the car, and walk into the trees to immerse myself in the autumn glow, but I will, perhaps, save that treat for another day.  For today, it was enough to be out and see it.