Friday, October 19, 2012

Sweet late October



Where I grew up in the American midwest, fall and spring were fleeting. They were glorious seasons in which everything happened all at once. In spring, everything bloomed within a two or three week period. It was like an explosion of the life force, slightly unnerving (at least it was for me). Likewise in fall, the leaves turned quickly, all at once, then dropped en masse. Unlike spring and fall, in the midwest summer and winter drone on and on.

One of the things I love about the midatlantic landscape is our lengthy spring, our lengthy fall. Both seasons stretch out luxuriously over a period of three months, gracefully unfolding. It's possible here, if you get out and about often enough, to see every gorgeous seasonal change.

In the midwest if you have a busy week at work, you might miss most of the spring bloom, most of the leaf color, but not here. Both seasons go on and on. We who live on this swampy plain are very lucky.

Right now, close to the end of October, is a particularly exquisite intersection between summer and winter. It's no longer hot, but not yet blustery. The days are warm enough that we can still wander around without jackets, and the nights are only slightly chilly. The leaves are slowly turning beautiful shades of gold, orange and red, and gently beginning their graceful fall to the ground.

This morning there is a soft rain. It's warm enough to open the windows. I can feel the soft air, hear the beautiful sound of falling rain. It's not a hot rain, as we have in summer, not a cold rain like we'll experience beginning in December. It's the perfect autumnal rain, melancholy, but not sour. Autumnal rain is bittersweet.

I love fall. Shalom.

3 comments:

ellen abbott said...

us too, have lengthy spring and fall seasons. no real leaf color though unless we get an early dip into really cold weather. but spring starts late January or early February when the early pears start blooming, then the japanese magnolias, then the peach trees and red buds, then the wisteria, etc. It all plays out over several months. Fall is nice because the season jockeys around with late summer for dominance. a few cool days, a few warm ones.

Margaret Gosden said...

I just love the second photo - just my cup-of-tea!

Steve Reed said...

I wonder if the extended seasonal change comes from living in a place with more rainfall and less extremes of temperature? I dunno. Interesting observation, though!