“I love the fall. I love it because of the smells that you speak of; and also because things are dying,
– Mark Van Doren
things that you don’t have to take care of anymore, and the grass stops growing.”
Autumn is perhaps the season that lends itself best to introspection. Winter is to be endured, spring is full of anticipation, while summer is the season of having fun. Autumn, on the other hand, is a season of transition. It is the season that seems to make us most aware of our mortality. How can it not? The days grow shorter, the temperatures drop, the garden falters and fails, trees stand bare against the sky and many bird species begin their migration to points south thus taking their songs with them. Silence reigns.
Life everywhere begins to go dormant in preparation for the cold, dark months ahead. Thus we become cognizant of the passage of time and begin to wonder just how many more autumns lie ahead for ourselves.
Yet, though autumn can be a melancholy season, nature provides us with perhaps the most beautiful display of the year as a recompense. Beyond the brilliant foliage on trees and shrubs, there is beauty to be seen below our noses. Asters, sedums and goldenrods reign supreme. Wild sunflowers dot roadsides and empty lots, while the stately plumes of ornamental grasses stand tall. It really is a gorgeous time of year.
Robin, must you leave?
Autumn sun still warms my skin,
Dry leaves flee the coming storm
– MrVintageMan
Besides, autumn is not really a death knell. Even though the trees grow bare and the world grows still, life is still here. The trees are merely sleeping, dreaming of the time when they can burst forth in their emerald splendor once again. Animals that are more cold hardy can still be seen or heard, if one just pays attention. One might see a red flash as a fox darts through a field of tawny grass; or hear the honk of geese who make the frozen lakes and streams nearby their winter homes.
Autumn is truly both a time of reflection and of wonder.
To celebrate the arrival of the best season of the year, I’d like to share a few of my favorite autumn photos that I have taken over the years. Enjoy!
Grass plumes nod sagely
In quiet autumn afternoon,
A cat stalks crickets
– MrVintageMan
Cold autumn winds blow
Leaves from their lofty perch,
Back to bed for me
-MrVintageMan
October storm looms
Thunder calls from distant peaks,
Aspen leaves tremble
– MrVintageMan
