filtering life seasonally

The leaves are staying on the trees much longer than they usually do this year. Typically, there is a large windstorm right around Halloween that strips all the fabulous color and resigns us to the bare branches and mucked-up storm drains of winter. This year, the "Big Blow 2007" came too early--the leaves were still firmly rooted to their branches. Even though a large, recently installed sculpture crashed to the ground, the natural artwork of fall has hung on for a few extra days, with no storm yet in the forecast. For once this means that I really have a chance to savor fall for what it really is... my favorite season.

There is no season more colorful than fall; even spring fails to compare. The colors of spring often lack the intensity and pervasiveness that fall color has. While spring is dramatic and wonderful in it's own right, Fall brings us misty mornings with late sunrises arching up and filtering through golden and ochre leaves, bathing the world one last time in a warm glow, even if it fails to make me want to loosen my scarf and hat. Fall gives us the tantalizing sounds of crunching leaves underfoot, giving even a mundane run to catch the bus a subtle soundtrack. Fall smells encompass everything from the deep musty smell of freshly piled leaves to the spicy scent of cinnamon baking in my oven. Fall tastes of soups, pumpkin pie, and all things warm. Fall is a time of pulling in, battening down, and pulling a blanket over the world. Since I am a blanket kind of girl, I welcome it whole heartedly.

I was reminded of fall by it's extension. It lasted long enough for me to post some of the photos I've taken, and between going through those photos and wandering to the grocery store in a symphony of color and crackling footsteps, I realized what a blessing it is to have this season: a prelude to the snow and cold, a moment to pause and pull in everything we hold close, a reminder of the vibrancy of life. Now to pull out those scarves, gloves, and hats and prepare for winter.