Thinking of Autumn

“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue” — John MuirWhen I think of autumn - I think in terms of gold, bronze, wine, crimson, flame, yellow - fallen leaves of course, sunflowers, goldenrod, pumpkins and squashes. Of brilliant deciduous trees showcased against the deep shades of the pines, hemlocks and other evergreens.

Weather service people were warning that a frost was on the way and I want to preserve these memories through the winter days when I will have only the evergreens and the white snow outside my window. I took my camera out to capture the colors of autumn.

Upon viewing my photos I discover, among the gold and scarlet, deep purples and brilliant white; the bell like blossoms of the autumn clematis, the elegant peacock orchid, the tall stately monkshood. The Peacock Orchid brought splendor to mid-autumn reaching four to five feet tall with dozens of blossoms but the monks hood has provided the true splendor of the season. A clump nearly hidden behind the pines has grown to eight feet in height. A single stalk may have more than twenty blossoms and the clump itself has so many blooms we do not even try to count them.

Within just a few hours time, the frost has come - but I have memories.