Friday, October 11, 2013

October

Oh precious October, you are here, the most welcome of months.  I want to cherish each day, yet I know you'll slip by, unlike the relentless heat of July and August which lingers long into September.

I'm always waiting and watching for you, yet you surprise me every year. I look up from my hurry-scurry schedule and leaves have begun their seasonal change of clothes. The light has a different slant. The sun comes in my kitchen window, blindingly bouncing off the cars in the driveway and I can't sit at the table, it's so bright.

Gentle breezes, cooling, refreshing breezes blow in my window. I crunch on leaves that skitter-skatter down the sidewalk. So do my tires, as the dancing leaves skip into the street where they'll have much more room for their ballet.

Oh, the colors. The bright yellow of the quivering-shivering aspen, the gentle gold of an ancient oak. 




Then there are the dancing lady trees who give us the best of three worlds, and have yellowish tinted leaves as their petticoat, then the first, almost transparent layer of their dress is golden, giving way to the scarlett-burgundy last layer. If it's still, you can't see the underclothes, but when the wind whips by in a whirl, you get a peek. She shares her secret, as she twirls with the breeze in a cotillion of her own.







Bushes burn, catching autumn slowly as the redness spreads until the entire shrub is shrouded in fire-engine red. You can watch that color spread each day, if you're looking.





And oh do I look. I roll my windows down to catch every breeze. I gawk at the parade before me. I cast my gaze towards the mountains and watch the aspen slowly emerge from the pines. Little rivers of yellow flow slowly down the mountain, until I don't have to drive very far at all to catch the show, this splendid October show.




~Tina, savoring the season

16 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You become quite poetic when discussing October! All those flowing words - someone is going to think you're a writer and demand a book.

Unknown said...

Beautifully done!
In San Antonio we get to watch the Cactus, and Mountain Cedar.
And get Cedar Fever...

Andrew Leon said...

That's enough, almost, to make me wish I had a favorite season.

Linda King said...

Beautiful shots and evocative words! So glad I popped by today!

Anonymous said...

An excellent post and awesome picture to establish the fact.

Yvonne

JoJo said...

It's a great time of year! My fave! You captured the essence beautifully.

klahanie said...

Ah Tina,

Such splendiferous words to catch the resplendent colours that symbolise the changes that occur in the month of October.

A peaceful weekend to you, Tina.

Gary

Brian Miller said...

def a favorite month...the height of fall...the color change...the crisp air...and hey a good excuse to wear a costume as well...smiles....

happy friday to you!

Michelle Wallace said...

One of my favourite songs is Autumn Leaves!
I simply LOVE it's timelessness... and of course the imagery captured via your pictures...

T.F. Walsh said...

Love the color of trees in autumn... just gorgeous.

shelly said...

In Florida, there is less humidity and the weather gets cooler.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Jo said...

Lovely descriptions. It's much the same here. Although up to today we have had lots of warm sunshine.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Beautiful photos. We can some lovely colours in the UK, but then it rains and the fallen leaves turn into a sloppy mulch. October is going way too fast!

Briane said...

I've only just selected Fall as my favorite season, after 44 years of favoring summer -- and then I stumble across this, and wish I could have it on a plaque on my wall, to remind me always of how fall FEELS. You said it far better than I ever could.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tina .. always love the colours and the scrunch - but I really don't like it getting colder! I keep saying to myself it's not really cold yet - waiting for the sun to come out first and warm my back as I sit at the computer ...

ah well .. each month has its special time ... October is full of birthdays and celebrations ... the sparkly warmth comes from get togethers ..

Hope all is well .. cheers Hilary

Rachel said...

The writing is as beautiful as the pictures. The fall season hasn't quite gotten here yet, but it'll just be a few more days.