Autumn beauty

Yesterday in the late afternoon I took a walk in the neighborhood. It was that magical time of day when the light turns golden. And though most of the leaves on the trees were still green, I found patches of color here and there.

Autumn Beauty

I find that when I walk with the intention of seeing beauty, that I notice things that I otherwise would not have noticed — like a few burgundy tinted leaves  backlit by the sun. Intention matters. And so does presence. If I am lost in thought I miss most of the beauty that surrounds me. That’s one reason that I take most of my walks alone.

How I go to the woods

Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single
friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore
unsuitable.

I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds
or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of
praying, as you no doubt have yours.

Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love
you very much.”

― Mary Oliver, Swan: Poems and Prose Poems

Golden Hour

Yesterday I looked mostly for interesting leaves that had begun turning color. The unique beauty of individual leaves or small groups of leaves against a background of green surprised me. I love it when beauty sneaks up and surprises me.

The golden late afternoon light also helped me to see beauty. Photographers, who study light, know the times of day when the light is most beautiful. I know many photographers who only make photographs at sunrise or near sunset because of the quality of the light. Unlike many people, I treasure the overcast days when the clouds in the sky imitate a giant lightbox, creating luminous beautiful light.

This time of year when the day length is shortening I mourn the loss of the light. At the same time I celebrate the shorter day length, because getting up for sunrise  photo shoots or going out for sunset or golden hour photo shoots don’t require me to wake up so early in the morning or stay out so late in the day.

A group of turkeys were wandering in the front yard of a house along my walk, finding fallen crab apples and other morsels of food. I regularly see wild turkeys wandering through our neighborhood. Isn’t it delightful to see all of the wild creatures who live all around us?

On a recent evening I saw a fox loping down the middle of our street. Birds, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and deer share this ground with us, also insects, plants, trees, micro-organisms. I hold all of this beauty and diversity with wonder and gratitude.

It looks like our cool fall-like weather is pausing for a short summer reprise. Each day, no matter, what the weather, I seek to find something to appreciate about the day.

What do you feel gratitude for today, my friends? Are you enjoying the autumn beauty?

May you walk in beauty.

And here is my most recent painting…