Thursday, October 20, 2016

LIKE A FINE WINE




Autumn intoxicates my senses and I savor its delicious uniqueness like a fine wine.
Don't snicker. I'm trying to be poetic.
Having been raised in temperate Southern California, I never experienced the splendor of a real autumn. I had traveled with my parents, of course, and saw glimpses of the changing seasons - but it wasn't the same as permanently living in a seasonal environment.

It wasn't until I was 33 and moved to the Missouri Ozarks that I experienced genuine seasons - and became completely obsessed with autumn. On the first brisk October days, with the first sign of the changing colors of foliage, I would go out and immerse myself in nature's glory: drives in the country, long walks in the woods. I collected colored leaves, pine cones, acorns, and decorated the house with pumpkins, apples, and gourds. I sat by the fireplace on frosty nights - drinking hot chocolate, spiced tea, or spiked cider. I spent hours wandering in old graveyards, accompanied by the ghosts of imagination.

When I moved to Texas, autumn vanished and was replaced by surrealistic dust storms and ruthlessly howling winds. I was determined to survive long enough to see a real autumn again.

So here - nestled in the unfamiliar but satisfying solace of rural Tennessee - I have finally found another autumn. I'm admittedly tired, worn out, plagued with health problems, and haunted by the turmoil of emotional ghosts - but the gentle cloak of autumn is comforting. It rekindles life in the living dead.....

The best part is that I only have to step out my door to be reunited with nature.
Yesterday was unseasonably warm and gorgeous. Recent winds have stripped some of the trees of their leaves, but the remaining foliage is ripe with color. I ventured outside again with my camera. These precious days are fleeting and need to be captured and remembered.

 This was the full Hunter's Moon last weekend. Photo taken just before dawn, when it was setting in the west.













 Bosco, enjoying the warm weather



Afternoon view from the back porch



It's a good thing I took photos yesterday. It's pouring rain tonight and the temperature is dropping.



21 comments:

  1. Although summer is my favorite season, autumn is my second favorite. ThIs week, the colors are really starting to expose now. Your setting of the mood for the season.......take me, take me now!!!!! Your last picture here is truly gorgeous.

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  2. Absolutely stunning photos, Jon. Even Bosco looks a little stunned, but then the best cats are.

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    1. Bosco is always a little stunned when he's outside. He doesn't savor the great outdoors as much as Scratch and Scruffy do.

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  3. You've definitely captured the essence of Autumn with these pictures. They are beautiful. Enjoy the season with all its splendor. Old man winter is coming ... course I do like a fresh snowfall.

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    1. I love a snowfall, as long as I can stay indoors and don't have to drive anywhere.

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  4. we are FINALLY starting to see some color in this area. love the bosco pix! now let's raise a glass of wine (white, rose, or red) to autumn!

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    1. The color here is usually best around the end of October, but this year it's a little early. The season definitely deserves a toast...

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  5. We've got your rain and winds here in NC this morning and the weather gurus are hinting at snow in the higher elevations....at least it will be wet and melt as soon as it hits the ground.....but, the real stuff is on it's way..!!

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    1. The rain has finally ended and I think it will be a nice weekend.

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  6. You had me at your post title!
    Totally adore Anne Marie's suggestion!

    In between pangs of envy, I'm seriously happy for you, Jon.

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    1. I thought of the post title at the very last minute. If only autumn could hang around until spring....

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  7. You have to grab the beauty because the wind and rain strip the trees pretty quickly. Growing up in Minnesota I can't imagine life without very distinct seasons. :)

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    1. I would never want to live in a place without seasons again. Strong winds are rather rare here, but they sure stripped a lot of leaves from the trees.

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  8. May we display your header on our new site directory? As it is now, the site title (linked back to your home page) is listed, and we think displaying the header will attract more attention. In any event, we hope you will come by and see what is going on at SiteHoundSniffs.com.

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    1. Yes, you can use my header - and I will definitely visit your site. Thanks!

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    2. Thank you so very much for giving permission. You can see your linked header under All, Daily Life, Land/Sea/Skyscapes, Photography, Political and the United States. If you could say something (preferably good) about SiteHoundSniffs.com here and there, I would greatly appreciate it.

      I do not know how was following who, but we have traveled a smiliar path. For I spent much of my formative years around Cassville in the southwestern part of Missouri, and then I called Amarillo, TX home for a while. I landed back in Springfield, MO, though--not Tennessee. However, I have been to about every inch of the state while I was trucking all of the place years ago.

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  9. I'm glad you're getting your autumn foliage and weather. I hope it hangs around for a while before winter comes a-knocking.

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  10. Jon,
    Autumn is my favorite season. I always thought it was because my birthday falls during an autumn month. Even though I fantasize about retiring to California, I would probably miss the change of seasons terribly. A few years ago when Dr. Spo visited us here in southern Delaware, I watched in fascination as he soaked in the beautiful of my spring blooming daffodils, something he says he never sees in Phoenix, Arizona. I do miss living in the hills and mountains but we still have a lot of autumn color here in the coastal plains of southern Delaware. Enjoy the season!
    Ron

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