More Autumn Musings

Yep, its that time of year. (In Utah we can say "Yep" and we do say Yep.  If you lived in New York or Miami Beach, you no doubt don't hear a lot of Yeps).  It is time to rake the leaves. The days are cool, very cool.  In the morning it is cold.  Yesterday at 8:00 I drove to get the Lovely Sharon a mug of coffee (a shot of half and half, then some Neighborhood decafe topped off with non-decafe hazelnut) at Einstein's Bagles.  It was 27 degrees. It was cold 

The Lovely Sharon has been cutting down flowers the last several days, to get the yard winterized.  All of the patio furniture is under wraps for the winter.  We moved Rudy, our rubber plant of several years, from the back deck into the house where he will remain until May.  A couple of other large plants were moved into the house as well.  This last week Sharon turned the outside water off. I devoted Friday afternoon and several hours yesterday to raking the leaves.  There are still a lot more leaves to rake and plenty of leaves in the trees but rather than wait for all of them to fall, I try to make a little progress day by day.  While I was raking Friday, I could see a deer in the brush about 40 yards from me. We looked at each other for a few minutes and then we each went about our business.

I marvel at the effect that Autumn has on my senses. The vivd colors of the leaves in their journey from green, to yellow, red or orange and finally to  brown before disengaging from their trees and floating to the ground.  A beautiful changing palette of color. The changes in the temperature on my skin when I am out of doors. The aromatic smell of fallen leaves.  I have always loved the smell. Autumn is more quiet than summer.  I continue to hear the squirrels but not many birds.  They are off for warmer environs.  No sounds of lawn mowers or edging machines.

If you look at the pictures above, you will see a lonely looking garden bench in the upper left hand corner.  Friday afternoon, in the midst of raking leaves, I sat down on that bench.  I looked around at the yard.  I looked above the branches of the trees and I could see blue sky.  I looked at our house on the hill above me.  I thought about how fast the last five months have gone by.   I thought about friends past and present and about family. I thought about Son Alex and pictured him as a boy rather than the 28 year old man that he is.  I thought about how fortunate I am.  I thought about the Lovely Sharon and wondered how she puts up with me.  I turned 59 a week ago.  I am stunned by that thought.  Although my body feels 59, my mind feels 30. Although I look at the future and at current events and goings on, I find myself more reflective than in years past.  I find myself wondering if I am doing enough for people, if I am giving enough of myself to helping those around me. I need to do better.  After a several minutes of such contemplations I arose from the bench and bagged up each of those piles of leaves.