Fall Oranges 2014

Fall paints my yard orange.  Not everywhere, not everything, but enough to raise my spirits.  The colour radiates vibrant energy, makes me smile.

Autumn Reds 2014

Some falls there is an abundance of yellow, brown and orange but reds are rare.  This year the leaves are brilliant as usual and reds are everywhere. 

Shediac River in September

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet hours watching the Shediac River, the changing leaves and tides, the boats floating with only a dog searching for the channel.

(Recent photos from the front of my sister's home.)

Today is a Gift

The heat of the sun, like a warm compress, soothes my skin.  Leaves, crisp, dry and turning brown, rustle a meditation.   Random thoughts follow the sound and ripple out on the breeze.  Cars whoosh, whispering by, far away on the road below.  A neighbour is building, hammering on her deck, getting ready for winter. 

A red squirrel climbs the wrought iron pole to the bird feeders, finds nothing appealing and falls off.  Or leaps to search for fallen rowan berries and the last of the grapes hidden beneath the vine's yellowing leaves.

Last night's rain and the sunlight wink and glisten on the leaves of the wisteria vine, the elm hedge and the sugar maple.  The light plays, creates patterns of shade.  Shadow copies of the leaves dance on the grass, deep greys on green.

Hosta leaves, touched with frost, droop now, brown tinged, wilting into the earth, turning themselves into compost for their winter's rest.  The air is cool, smells crisp and fresh, smells like fall.

The sunlight slants through the dark green, waxy leaves of the saucer magnolia, makes it look different; it becomes a glowing, unreal, lime colour.  The magnolia has had a good summer, has recovered from its breakage.  Tender care and the duct-taped splint are a success.

Autumn changes, touches everything.  Each shrub and tree, every vine and berry turns from one form of itself into another; transitions from one stage of its life cycle into another.

Me, too; I am changing, transitioning.  I await the next change in my life, this new transition into another form of myself.

I hope to pass through this cycle of health challenges, perhaps a little browned at the edges, perhaps dry and rattly for a time.  Like the magnolia, I hope to have a good season.  I anticipate my physical self will look different, maybe it will sometimes seem unreal.  But, I hope with tender care, I too will survive and become stronger.

May it be so.

Words and photo are copyright Carol Steel.

Visit to the River

Yesterday, we went to the Shediac River to visit

my sister and brother-in-law. 

The river was full, geese were flying overhead

and a cool fall breeze was shaking the trees.

We enjoyed the day, the company, the weather but

it was cool enough that Mum needed to wrap up

to keep warm.

Even though the sky was blue and the leaves were still green,

there were tinges of orange.

It was a lovely day by the river.

Photos and words are copyright Carol Steel.

Weeding the Mulch

Yesterday, I complained about weeding the mulch.

Moaned about how long it takes and how many weeds there were.  Today, it's rainy and the weeding is finished (on that part of the yard.)  I'm looking out at 120 feet of rain washed and weeded mulch and damp, gorgeous weedless Russian Cypress.  Everything looks great!  For a little while...

Even though I whined about weeding, the three, long sunny afternoons were interesting.  Neighbours stopped by while walking their dogs or each other, and chatted.  We caught up on news.

I heard about who was ill and who is better, who is undergoing tests, who is glad they have their weeding all done, who is getting tutoring, whose dog cost $4000. to diagnose and cure, who is annoyed with another neighbour, who knows a man for hire who does yard work and who is just out enjoying the refreshing fall days.

And did I mention, I have 120 feet weed-free across the back of our yard?  I'm happy .