Early Fall

The backyard is where I first see the signs that the season is changing.  The apple and pear fruit trees lose their leaves first and then the hostas start to look peaked.  The dogwood tree begin to change;  the peach tree follows.  

Old Man Tree takes his time and moves in stages toward the fall.  As if aware that there’s no hurry, he won’t finish the job until the first of November, moving at a stately pace through the month of October.  These pictures were made after I had mowed the lawn and things look tidy.  When the morning light arrives, the once-lush grass has yellow leaves spilt all over.  They clean up when I mow but soon enough the supply returns, more with each cool morning.

Mother Nature prepares for her rest intentionally, moving toward the quiet beauty of Winter with splashes of Fall color that are splendid and lovely, inspiring me to look to my closet for a Fall sweater to wrap around my shoulders in the morning.   That’s happy!