Natural Beauty of Autumn
Autumn or Fall conjures up for me mixed feelings. Fall is a happy time for me celebrating thanksgiving; many, many birthdays in our extended family; gorgeous beauty in nature; time to put the garden to sleep… I even tolerate Halloween! However, I also feel the loss of the warmth of summer, almost always wondering if I made the most of the short season; coming to terms that I am one year older, and still getting used to the idea of being an “elder”; preparing myself for hibernation till next spring… From the perspective of an art photographer, the season is full of promise, capturing that ‘perfect’ fall scene, discovering the hidden late blooming gems of the garden like tricyrtis, fall crocuses, catkins on the locust and red berries on the aronias, and being blown away by the brilliant burgundy, burnt orange and popping golds of the native shrubs and trees that surround our home. A few personal and family happenings sidetracked me this fall, however I am grateful for life and all the parts of creation that sustain our lives, especially the nurture and love of family. This autumn I have had a much more profound experience of liminality than I can remember, amplifying the realization of transitions and being neither here nor there, in between summer/winter, young/old, wellness/sickness, even life/death. I have renewed my appreciation for who we are and what we have, here and now.