Tag: foliage

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Seasonal changes

It’s subtle, but for about the past week I’ve been aware of that infinitesimal yet distinct shift that announces the imminent arrival of autumn.

It’s the slightly cooler air, the slightly shorter days, the slight difference in the angle and intensity of the sunshine.

And I find myself remembering the back-to-school excitement of elementary and junior high school. Those were the days when we got new school clothes — practical and warm outfits made of wool, which were brutal to wear when the usual California heatwave arrived in early to mid-September.

I loved school, so I was usually ready for summer to end. I loved the colors of the foliage and the windy days of fall.

I love all these things still, although nowadays I get anxious about increased wildfire risk when the fall weather gets windy.

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It’s getting to be that time

I guess I’m more attuned than usual to the approach of “letting go” season. I certainly don’t recall noticing so many little hints of red in the midst of mostly green foliage in past years.

I also happen to be gearing up to (hopefully) accomplish some letting go of my own — namely decluttering and releasing things I no longer use, need, or resonate with.

Hopefully, I can learn from the trees.

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Subtle but magical

I absolutely love living in the midst of a forest of magical, golden oak trees at this magical, golden time of year.

Of course, I’ve been admiring dramatic red, orange, and yellow foliage for weeks. But there’s something about the more subtle, muted gold of the oak trees that really does it for me.

Especially since there are so many of them here, so I end up feeling surrounded by golden magic.

At any rate, this was my view as I went to get into my car shortly before sunset this evening.

Glorious.

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Autumn beauty

I can’t stop myself from trying to capture the beauty of fall foliage, although I end up deleting most of the photos I take.

I’m no photographer, for starters; just someone snapping pics on my smartphone. But more to the point: how does one capture the essence of beauty? I find it’s more a matter of what I feel when I gaze at the foliage, than what I’m seeing.

What I feel is the urge to be those amazing colors, against the intense blue sky…the very essence of autumn, to me at least.

These last two photos are of the sight that greeted me when I stepped out of my car at work today. Except it was a hundred times more vivid in real life.

I guess the urge that I feel to be the colors, the leaves, the sky is a sort of reminder, from the part of me that remembers what it was to be one with all that is…and can’t wait to get back back there.