Autumnal wonderland

The evanescence of autumn is hard to take in before it fades into the grasp of November, a month which has a unique beauty all its own but much more subtle than the last hurrah of nature’s colorful displays before a long sleep. Looking out there is an overwhelming display of highly saturated and fiery hues of orange and yellow blazing up into the cloudless sky, which on some days is the most brilliant azure providing a perfect contrast to this hot inferno of foliage. Other times, the sky is a silvery grey, creating a foil, muting the colors and foretelling the grayness to come.

Bringing the focus back into the world underfoot to what was covered in green leaves and vines just a few weeks ago, there are countless hidden treasures that become the focal point of life like reddening rose hips and inconspicuous wasps visiting the last flowers of the year - asters and joe-pie weed. Many species of mushroom bookend the year, emerging in spring and re-emerging in the fall. Looking up, the birds are quickly losing the dense canopy and thick underbrush that once offered them cover.

Even roadsides have a captivating beauty which can be appreciated only by living life at the pace of our own feet.