Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving weekend

and I am grateful for bright leaves

floating on amber ripples.

I am grateful for the ebb and flow of life,

for coloured carpets in the shady woods,

and for the small creatures 

who find nourishment

 there.

Last of May

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though spring was late this year, the yard has, at last, leafed in.  And, when our yard leafs in, we are surrounded by walls of green, closing us off from neighbours, in a cozy, friendly way.  We are wrapped in nature; rapt in nature, too.  It feels so good.

Yellows and Browns of Autumn

 

 

 

 

 

The softer yellows and browns

are just as lovely as the vibrant reds of autumn.

The Reds of Autumn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Reds

Trees Changing in Albert County NB

 

 

 

 

 

The season of colour and hue,

subtle and not-so-subtle changes.

 

Autumn Colours in Albert County NB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Light That is Yours

 

Share the light that is yours.

Changing Seasons

The changing seasons burst with drama in New Brunswick.  One week ago, the leaves were red, orange, yellow, and still on the trees everywhere I looked.  Now half the leaves lie on the ground, edges curling, turning brown and rust; the fragrance of damp earth and leaf compost in the autumn air.

Often autumn means time to mulch the leaves, to mow for the last time, to trim the garden’s dying tops, to bring in the lawn furniture, put away the lawn swing, cover the less hardy roses and wrap the magnolia.  Autumn means completing chores and preparing for winter.

But these last days of fall are full of gifts, not just work.  A sheltered outside corner and one remaining chair make a peaceful break for coffee and time to read, as I sit warmed by the sun. 

The last of October and early November paint a different colour palette, in shades of grey; the stones and rock wall show again, tree trunks come out of hiding.  Stark tree branches display silhouettes of black arches against a blue sky.  Spruce and fir and pine show off myriad tones of green and the larch dances gold in the damper areas.  The rich smell of the earth, the gently decomposing plants, the soon-to-be-resting shrubs all fan a faint musk to the breeze.

The sound of birds is different now from summer bird sound.  The “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” of Black-capped Chickadees, the buzzing rising “zzreeee” of Pine Siskins, the “jay-jay-jay” of Blue Jays and the raspy “ka-squawk” of Ring-Neck Pheasants predominate.  Red squirrels scratch over the pavement and crunch through the dry leaves as they seek and hide their treasures.

 

 

 

Small children walk by our house on their way to the playground or to school. Sometimes I listen to the bubbling voices calling out in astonishment. “Look at this red leaf. Oh, look at this dark orange one. I can use this piece of rock to chalk on the road. Hey, look, a worm. A ladybug. A pheasant. A feather.”   Every small thing is a source of wonder for them. Every puddle is a realm of delight.

How much of the changing seasons do we miss? How many delights do we pass by on our way to complete the chores? How many wonders are right in front of us? How much over-the-top beauty goes unnoticed?

Stop a moment, breathe, see and hear, fill your heart. Don’t miss the show.

The changing seasons burst with drama. 

 

Photos and words are copyright Carol Steel. 

 

 

 



 

 



Yesterday Was Fun

Yesterday was fun!

Gary is learning to drive different size buses, which he enjoys very much.  It’s an after retirement career for him, combining his love of driving and his sociable nature.  He is having a great time, though it pulls him away from home more than he was before.  Every now and again, he stops by with the bus on his way from here to there on a trip or a tour.

On Thursday night, he came home late and parked the bus he was driving on the street in back of our house.  On Friday morning, I got a chance to travel with him back to Fredericton because the bus was empty.  He was just returning it and picking up our car. 
 

I had fun, sat in many seats on the bus, checked them all out for comfort and view, heat and cold.  We listened to Willie Nelson CD’s turned up loud and talked and laughed.  The views of autumn leaves were incredible; we were sitting much higher than one does in a car.  As we drove over the Jemseg Bridge, and near the Grand Lake Meadows, next over the bridge to Fredericton, we marveled at how far we could see and what we could see.  Miles and miles of green-gold willows, birch with yellowed leaves, lush water meadows, small green islands and wide blue Saint John river and deep blue Grand Lake, all sparkling in the sunlight.

I had my camera with me but took only these shots of the bus at our street and my favourite bus driver.  I was so busy enjoying the looking, I forgot about taking photos.  It was one of those stunning sun-bright fall days when the world seems perfect and beautiful; I simply wanted to enjoy it.

After Gary turned in the bus, gassed it up, cleaned it out, reported to maintenance and filled out paper work, we spent the rest of the day in a leisurely drive around Fredericton and outlying areas.  This too was a treat for me to spend so much time with him and in such balmy weather.  We didn’t have any agenda, or any time to be home, so we meandered.  It’s a gorgeous part of New Brunswick and we had a glorious day in which to explore it.

Yesterday was fun!

Photos and words are © copyright Carol Steel.

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.

The Royal Wave

The Royal Wave

Birch trees in the breeze.
Leaves flip, green to gold and back
and forth, royal waves.
Tiny heart-shaped hands rotate,
twist and wave, acknowledge us.

Photos are mine.

Visiting Your New Home

 

Visiting Your New Home

In your new home, I wake each morning to the murmur of leaves.  Dappled shade and rippled sunlight play, gifts from trees that stretch upward over 200 feet.  Black Locust, Black Oak, Cherry and Chestnut, these trees are centuries old.  I lie in bed and feel the cool morning breeze, hear the whisper of fresh leaves on ancient trees and I breathe in, breathe in summer.  I wake canopied and cradled in a tree house.

The songs of trees chorus throughout the day.  Steel-framed windows hug the light, invite the light into every corner, and shine the light onto every pale wall inside.  Outside each window, there are sturdy trunks clothed in every possible shade of green. Inside this home, the outside is made welcome.

Inside of me, the outside is welcome, too.  The quiet, verdant world fills me.  I see green, breathe green; I feel green expand inside me.

Green enters my ears as birdsong and bright breeze gossiping in the leaves.  Green enters my eyes when sunlight calls on the shadows to dance.  Green enters my heart, peels it wide open to trade anxiety for attention and awe, to trade responsibility for joy in the present moment, to trade cares for being astonished and carefree.  Green enters my lungs, as I inhale wind and rain, sunlight and rainbow, fog and dew.  I breathe anew, easy and deep.

Green cradles me and comforts me in this new home.  Green draws me to a place where boundaries don’t exist, where doorways out and doorways in are translucent pathways, where every living thing is part of the same breathing and growing earth.

The leaves whisper, “Peace, peace, peace,” morning and night.  Under this canopy of trees, all’s well with the world and I am fresh and whole.

So, I offer my blessings on your home and to you, who live under this great green canopy of ancient trees.

And remind you:

All shall be well,

and all shall be well,

and all manner of things shall be well. *

* Quote from Julian of Norwich (1342-1416) English Christian Mystic

All photos are mine.

To learn more about this wonderful property, click here and go to Super Granny, a blog site written by Sally Wendkos Olds.

Morning Haze

Light.
Morning's
sleepy kiss
burns through this haze,
calls to life...bloom and leaf and love and you.

Photo is mine.

Sleep? What's That?

Do parents of young children ever get enough sleep?  The answer would seem to be, "No." 

I still remember being so tired, I was able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime, when my children were small.  They had erratic sleep patterns, often woke in the night, stayed awake for long stretches and didn't nap during the day.  Years of sleep deprivation; remembering makes me weary, even now, thirty some years later.

We have grandchildren visiting.  No naps today, except for parents, grateful for grandparents' extra help, so they can rest.

Brightly coloured leaves dropped into our yard (ours, plus contributions from neighbours) to cover the lawns.  We'll rake them into piles later, make them ready for leaping and jumping and shrieking with delight--once the parents awake.

The parents are escaping this evening.  Because they are here, they'll have the rare opportunity to get out by themselves and to experience a quiet, elegant meal away from home, without the company of persons under three years.

Luxury!

I remember those times, too.  The beauty of an evening together without any children, and the bonus of free babysitting.  Hope they enjoy their time together being a couple again, as much as we used to appreciate escapes by ourselves.

It is important to have balance between being a couple and being a parent, especially when there isn't enough sleep to go round.

This photo is mine.