Friday:
An entire week of delicious warmth lingered like a summer embrace, intoxicating the senses and sweeping the late afternoon sky with mysterious specters that might have been clouds.
Saturday:
An unexpected chilling rain arrived late Friday night, drenching all remnants of summer memories and reminding idle dreamers that winter is poised in the wings with angry claws. A cutting wind and a drastic drop in temperatures rendered Saturday bone-bitingly cold.
Sometimes I'm so damned poetic that I actually admire myself.
I'm writing this post after midnight on Saturday night, and the temperature is now well below freezing. I have no intention of welcoming winter with a smile.
I took advantage of the warm weather last week. Armed with my El Cheapo camera, I clumsily trekked through the woods in my back yard and photographed the last of the autumn foliage.
With the leaves quickly shedding, I'm able to see glimpses of the neighboring mountain.
Yea, I know - - they're not exactly gigantic mountains. I've actually seen bigger tits in Beverly Hills. But here in Tennessee we call them mountains. And I like it that way.
What's with those new "watermark" thingies on my photos?
I'm getting territorial in my old age. Not to mention paranoid. Overstep your boundaries and I'll shoot.
My cat Scruffy accompanied me on one of my walks through the woods. She's cute as hell (or maybe heck), but nearly made me trip numerous times.
And my back is still agonizingly painful, ever since I fell on the ice last winter.
Autumn is much too brief. A fleeting sonnet of love, a sweet song of light at the edge of enormous dusk, a cherished memory in fading mists.....
I'll miss you.
Jon, your photos are wonderful. Autumn is truly the kindest and quietest season. Your images show a compassionate side of nature that will return in a year --no more falling down on ice, ok?
ReplyDeleteGeo - this place is so slippery and slopey that it's easy to fall even when there isn't any ice.
DeleteMy instincts tell me that "slopey" is a real word. Spellcheck disagrees...
Another great post, Jon! I think you SHOULD be protective of your work: I once Googled the title of a haiku poem I wrote and discovered some twit was trying to pass it off as his own!
ReplyDeleteThe photo of Scruffy is especially wonderful: You have a good eye for composition and such.
Every time I post photos or poetry on my blog I get the strong feeling that someone will eventually "lift" it - and my instincts are often right. I'm sorry to hear about the twit who stole your haiku.
DeleteScruffy never stays still long enough for me to photograph her. It's rare when I get a photo.
Jon,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful fall pictures. Trees are starting to shed here. I use to enjoy winter, but I rather dread the coming of the chill now.
Larry
I have the exact feelings. I used to love winter, but the older I get the more I dread it.
DeleteIn spite of things that go bump in the night (and flying creatures from Hades), your views are astonishingly beautiful. No wonder you don't like window coverings!
ReplyDelete"Poised in the wings with angry claws" ... wow, I like that description.
I finally have Venetian blinds on my windows but I always keep the up. Now that the weather is cold I regret not having curtains.
DeleteI'm glad you noticed the "angry claws" line...
Nothing in the mail yet, but I'll keep you posted.
Our foliage is at least a week done now, with exception to brown leaves on oaks. The Snow Queen is no doubt ready to take the throne back and I will welcome her. I'm ready to hibernate soon.
ReplyDeleteLast year the foliage peaked in October. This year the mild weather allowed it to last much longer.
DeleteYour pics of the sky and the fall foliage are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt's decidedly cooler today than it has been, but no freezing temperatures yet. I'm glad you got some rain in TN, and I hope we get some here soon, too. The wildfires have been burning out of control for over a month here, and we haven't had a drop of rain in over two months.
Take care, cowboy, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you.
I've heard about all the wildfires and it reminds me of California. It's been dry for so long that the rain was a welcomed surprise. I'll do a rain dance for your area!
DeleteSeriously, get your back checked out by a quack.
ReplyDeleteIt's the "quack" part that always worries me....
DeleteIt's English for 'doctor'.
DeleteI never knew that. Here in the U.S. a "quack" is a bad (incompetent) doctor.
DeleteMessing with your back (whether by yourself, or with the "help of professionals") is damn scary. I'm glad it's my shoulder and arm instead of my neck or spine....but give it a few minutes....ouch....see? I bought a cheapo tens unit at Walgreens, then found a better one at Kmart, and I would glue it to my arm and buzz the hell out of it. Then I used PENTREX cream that stops the pain.....I disagree. If I lived where you live, and knew anything about growing weed, I swear I'd have some out back. I'd bet you'd find some if you could walk more than a mile in any direction. But then you'd be hurting from a gunshot wound in addition to your back.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell is gonna become of us? You, Dylan, Terry, me.....growing old makes us ugly AND fragile. One or the other is enough. Why BOTH?
Those pain creams NEVER work if you have REAL agonizing bitchy pain....
DeleteI'm sure that weed grows around here somewhere...but you're right about risking a gunshot wound while looking for it.
Old age ain't for sissies, that's for sure.
Jon,
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, wasn't the weather last week just the best? Not today, cold and windy. Too windy to walk. I couldn't even get my walk in today. By the way, I saw a great movie last night, "Holding the Man". One of the few good gay themed movies. Most are awful. This one was very good. A tear jerker but some humor too. Real life.
Ron
Ron, I was hoping the gloriously warm weather would last until spring.....unfortunately Old Man Winter saw my joy and decided to spoil it. It's 25 degrees tonight and I was forced to turn the heat on.
DeleteI hadn't heard of "Holding the Man" but I Googled it. It does sound really good...and I always like a tear jerker.
Warm weather? WTF? It's gloomy over here. It was raining yesterday and it's raining today. It's as cold as fuck!
DeleteA blogger friend, had a blogger friend, that had your blog listed as one of their favorites. You got me at Tennessee. My dad, was born and raised in Tennessee (Scott County) Eastern Tennessee. I haven't been back there since 1971. Your photos are beautiful - I live in Shasta County. I'm a new follower by email.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog, Debby! I've only been living in TN for two years (I have some relatives here) - - I love the beautiful, rustic surroundings!
DeleteBeautiful Fall pictures, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paula! I liked the "snowfall" photo on your blog. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
DeleteFor an El Cheapo camera it takes very nice pictures. Beautiful scenery. Autumn is slipping away here as well. We had our first bit of snow the other day. Don't forget about Yaktrax - they really do help prevent falling on ice.
ReplyDeleteMy digital camera is well over ten years old but it still takes fairly decent photos. The autumn foliage lasted unusually long this season and I loved it.
DeleteThanks for the Yaktrax reminder....