“Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.” Isaiah 49:13 NLT
I love Fall. Creation gets to show off its palette of gorgeous colors as the Creator paints beauty and joy onto His Earth-canvas. How He loves to delight us and bring joy to our spirits. You are loved. Peace be with you.
Summer is drawing to a close. The months of bright, festive flowers that beckon and sing to the pollinators and picnickers is dwindling down. There will be a few days of heated fury and defiance, where summer rebels just a bit – blazing hot and fierce. Time is almost up, and it knows.
The garden knows, too, and begins the descent into autumn. The spring and summer flowering plants and bushes slow and droop, dropping dried blooms, except for those that flourish and delight in autumn, bringing fresh color and excitement to a waning garden.
With this changing of the guard comes a season of pruning. Much needs to be done to keep the garden looking loved, cared for and peaceful. Garden shears, trimmers and trowels are still needed.
Upon close inspection, one sees the stems, leaves, vines, and small branches shut down, wither, and die back. The perennials need this season of pruning for survival; they need someone to cut away and remove those areas that are no longer serving them or the garden. At times the pruning seems brutal, harsh, and perhaps cruel as some parts are cut away so severely there is hardly any of the original plant left. All is cut away that is not actively helping, nurturing, and stimulating growth in the plant. Those dead and dying off parts suck vital nutrients from the healthy stems, branches, and leaves. A good gardener knows that they cannot be left to compete with and deplete the healthy plant.
Bending close to check each branch and stem, the gardener determines where best to trim and cut away. At first glance, a stem or branch may look completely wasted away, yet a closer look reveals tiny, minute new growth attempting to push its way out. The gardener values this new growth, barely visible except to the one who actively seeks and delights in nourishing this fledgling sprout of new life. All that is above it will be removed and tossed away, allowing plenty of room and careful tending to encourage the new life.
Do you see how this imagery of a master gardener lovingly tending his or her garden applies so beautifully to how the Creator loving and intentionally prunes, tends, and cares for each of us?
The pruned plant may look bedraggled and worse for wear, hacked and shorn off, appearing vulnerable and fragile. But this is where the unseen work takes place in the root system below the surface. With the dead and decaying parts pruned away, the roots are free to prepare and strengthen the fragile plant for the new life waiting for rebirth when the season is just right; when spring comes and the time for its new beginning arrives. The quiet season of strength building is vital for this plant and is vital for us, too. When the Master Gardener deems it is time, new life will burst up, break forth and take its place in the Garden of Life, amid humanity, where the plant and you and I will live out our purpose, delight those meant to encounter us and be deeply nourished from a root system well established and fed by the Master Gardener and His living water.
The pruning season is hard. It hurts and can leave us feeling like there is nothing left of us but stumpy, stick-like nubs that are ugly, barren and have no purpose. But we can’t see with the eyes of the Master Gardener, who sees these shorn off places as a thing of great beauty and Divine Purpose, because He knows what’s coming. He sees the pruned places for what they are; stealers of joy, a heavy weight of bad habits, bitterness and anger, idols we erected in our search for happiness and value, and greedy competitors that robbed precious energy. I imagine Him smiling and laughing in anticipation of all that He is doing below the surface to the root system of our lives. Every nip, cut, snip and prune hold tremendous value and purpose. So, can we endure for a little while, during the quiet autumn of the pruning season, to see the joy, delight and surprise that will spring forth?
I love how the autumn light filters and dances through the red and gold leaves; a light, pixie-like breeze gently rustling them, sending a few floating lazily to the ground.
Standing still for a moment, taking in the smell, the light, the feel of that breeze lightly brushing my skin, I feel my shoulders relax and drop down a bit as I smile and breathe deeply.
The packed dirt and gravel path looks so inviting; it’s already claimed other nature loving souls this morning, who heeded the call to get out and be refreshed; joggers, walkers, meanderers; their faces reflecting the serenity that I’m desperate for today.
Preoccupied squirrels with fluffy brown tails are busy with their autumn tasks; digging, ruffling, burying their treasures. They make me happy. In an odd way, it is calming and peaceful to see them hard at work, yet seeming to revel in the autumn air and changing season as much as I am; their purposeful movements interspersed with dramatic bouts of scampering, scolding and tail waving.
The crunch of small rocks and dried leaves makes a pleasing sound as I walk the park. Haphazardly scattered along the pathway, among the rocks and sticks and other seasonal detritus, I am delighted to find bright red and orange leaves, which at first sight seem random, yet cause me to marvel at Mother Nature and the seemingly perfect placement of her handiwork. Lovely. A bright spot on the path, a reminder to be alert and observe, “there is beauty on your path but you must watch for it.”
What else might I be missing? I still my mind and watch and listen and smell; I observe with eyes that are looking for small joys and beauty; the things so ordinary that they are overlooked, yet are packed with meaning, novelty and beauty.
Laughter. I hear it. Toddlers so delighted with their game of hide and seek that they shriek out their joy and reveal their hiding spaces; feeling confident and protected as they run full speed through the grass, filling their young lungs with air and collapsing in a giggling heap with their gasping parents close behind. This. This is living. Exhausting oneself with pure happiness!
There is the man on the shady bench with his dog; a picture of contentment as he strokes the white head of his poodle and talks gently to it. His face is serene and his posture relaxed; the dog lying still observing us walkers, joggers and meanderers. Easy companionship.
I see the determined jogger, who runs past with heavy breathing and intense focus on her path, yet takes a moment to make eye contact, smile and chuff out a hello! Determined, yet aware.
From one vantage point at the far end of the path, I see the entire park open up in front of me. I feel joyful. I can’t help but smile wide at the deep green of the grassy area, where delighted dogs romp and chase far flung Frisbees, frisking around their guardians; where an older couple strolls hand in hand, taking in the park and all its beauty, totally unhurried; the huge mix of old trees that offer shade and respite for those enjoying the morning – pines, oaks and other varieties – the playground with excited children busy at play, imagining themselves invincible as they climb the slide ladder.
This morning walk in the park helped me shed a feeling of heaviness I did not realize I had been hauling around with me. I feel relaxed, open and so light; aware of just how much the ordinary is designed to bring joy, peace and a sense of centering, but we must have our senses ready to receive it. Our Creator knew just what He was up to, down to every slight detail; so intricate, yet so often overlooked, as we search out something huge and wild and shattering to bring back our peace and our sense of normalcy, when all we need is right in front of us, waiting to be seen with new eyes and fresh appreciation. Nature is calling, can you hear her?
We lover’s of Autumn have a sixth sense about us; a knowing when that first revelation of summer’s end has arrived.
It is felt on the skin in that barely discernable nip and twinge of air, charged with the slightest of chills; awareness that the atmosphere has changed just a smidge.
Autumn’s scent is unique and mischievous. Earthy and deep; wise, pungent and bold in the way brown leaf tips, restless trees and fading flowers bend and drop to the Earth, daring the one watching to stop them; to impede the ancient progress of a slow, yet lovely descent into quiet and rest.
That spritely spurt of wind, which tosses and dances fallen leaves and finished flowers round and round, is delightful. What is it about piling up crispy, browned leaves and then dashing them about; flinging them from orderly piles into random and untamed flurries of color? A new beginning; a tossing and mixing up of the old, lazy routine into something new; a plan to disrupt the status quo and wait patiently through the Winter, as that plan takes on form and substance. Somehow the chaos of it is lovely and energizing; part of the ritual. It is one more wild streak before the settling and simmering of Autumn moves on to the mystery and silent brooding of Winter.
The discerning observer will witness Nature’s response to the shift from the indolent, dog days of summer to Autumn’s call to let go; the song of quiet purpose and intention, as Mother Earth whispers it’s time to fold in, cozy up and allow rest to perform its miracles and the deep, sweet slumber of Winter to wait in the wings.
There is something inspiring and invigorating in this call to purposeful letting go; an anticipation. Is it the definitive color changes and that unmatched fall scent in the air that feels like a new beginning? Is it the crisp sensation of fall air as one breathes it in?
Welcome Autumn! Come and show off your colors and dare us to think about the dead or dying places that we need to let fall; not with sadness or fear; but with an anticipation that a season of silent regrouping, where new life starts to bud, will soon break free with the coming of Spring. It’s coming and it will be glorious!
SPRING
Bright morning with clean, clear air; the smell of new growth is rejuvenating.
Light and promising, the still early sharpness of new Spring dances on the light breeze.
A cup of English Breakfast tea with bacon on toast sits with me on the high deck overlooking the meadow that soon blends into the forest.
I smile and greet the flowers dotting the meadow below me with their heavy, waving heads; their pale colors teasing at the intensity to come.
Welcome Spring!
Green-yellow shoots of new grass force their way up through the gentle earth, stretching and coming alive under the light yellow sun.
The morning is already noisy; full of life; energetic.
The happy creek is splashing and rushing in full force; water from melted snow forcing its way down the mountain; tender reeds and cattails making a brave show of guarding the greening banks.
Birds have been up since dawn, delighting in the awakening bugs, fallen seeds and promises of good things to come.
It is time to hike; time to get out there and discover the hidden gems, which are just awakening and coming to life after a long winter of silent sleep.
The ground is still soft and springy, pliant under my slightly muddy boots.
Brisk walking, blood is pumping; alert for woodland creatures also enjoying the new birth and tender delicacies all around.
The shining lake seems happy; full to the brim with birds and creatures and bugs galore, busily gorging on Spring’s buffet; the light breeze ruffling the water; this lifts the soul.
Pleasant afternoon turns to cool evening; sun going down.
Sunset on the deck during the evening meal of pasta and salad with lemony iced tea; lovely.
Forest quieting; night falling.
SUMMER
Rising early to savor the cool of the morning; the sun is peeking over the tree tops.
Ginger Peach tea with granola, fresh fruit and yogurt accompany me to the deck.
Hello Summer!
It’s a lazy morning; creatures are up and stirring, but the pace is less frenetic.
The babble of the creek has taken on a more languid pace and I can just make out some footprints along its bank. Raccoon? Skunk?
Birds call and swoop; coaxing young ones to take flight; bugs and other delicacies brought to the wide, young mouths waiting inside downy nests.
Meadow flowers and grasses are tall now; twisting and dipping in the warming, lazy breeze.
The pace is certainly slower.
It’s time to layer up for the hike. Pleasant now, but the afternoon promises to be warm and close.
Canteens of water, beach towel, swim suit. To the lake!
Cool mountain water zings the skin and wakes up the senses after that first daring plunge!
Warm, drowsy, pine scented air creates the perfect backdrop for napping on the old beach towel.
Memories of camping and outdoor adventures flit though the mind as I gently doze.
Sleepy and comfy.
Watching and listening to scurrying, rustling sounds in the reeds by the lake; family of ducks skimming the lake for water bugs, tiny frogs and dangling berry bushes.
Duck family leaves behind ripples that spiral outward toward the shore.
Heading back to fire up the grill; lovely night to bar b que and drink chilled white wine as the sun goes down, leaving a fiery trail on the horizon.
Sun has set; here come the marshmallows, grahams and chocolate bars.
The evening is still and pleasant; perfect for S’mores and stories.
Forest quieting; night falling.
AUTUMN
A chill in the morning air; sleepy sun pushes over the horizon; animals stirring.
Hot coffee with cream; warm oatmeal with brown sugar, golden butter and walnuts heads out to the deck with me.
Cheers, Autumn!
The chair is cool to the touch.
Warm hoodie and long yoga pants are just right for this crisp morning.
Warm, but less intense sun light filters down through the beginning to be bare branches, leaving a warm impression. Lovely.
The air has that certain and distinctive Fall scent to it of browning leaves, dusty earth, crisp air that isn’t quite ready to mellow into deep winter. The comforting scent of pine.
The creek water pushes on, but with a slower gurgle; a gentle flow. Animal tracks at the edges; areas that are flattened down from what remains of a creature bed.
There are resilient, strong, stubborn grasses and flowers that are not yet ready to relax; that persist and bring color to a waning meadow and forest.
Time to hike.
Hiking in Autumn demands layers.
The warmer meadow where the sun still reaches and pours warmth onto backs and shoulders; then deeper into the woods with that unmistakable chill of the forest; fresh and chill it demands a bit faster pace to keep comfortable.
That lovely, primal scent of pine.
Boots kick up a bit of dust; that leftover pliant earth from Spring.
The lake is restful; last vestiges of birds calling and making their Southward plans.
A bit too chilly for a dip in the calm water.
A calm and peaceful place to sit among fallen leaves and turning grasses and read, until the Autumn sun begins its descent.
Chipmunks and fluffy grey squirrels are chattering; roaming the branches and fallen leaves for those precious seeds and nuts that will be hidden away.
Scurrying and intent on seeking and finding provision.
Winter is coming.
The lit grill gives off welcome warmth; as aromas of grilling vegetables and juicy steaks fill the air around the cozy cabin. Potatoes are baking in the oven.
Red wine with dinner on the deck; sunlight fading; S’mores make their last appearance of the season.
A warm fire might be nice tonight.
Forest quieting; night falling.
WINTER
Blankets feel so warm in the cold morning; is it time to get up?
All is quiet outside the cabin. The watery sun seems to be struggling, too.
Rise and grab long, warm, heavy sweatpants and sweatshirt plus thick fuzzy socks.
First, hot coffee with cream; the mug sends warmth to already chilled hands.
Stoking up the fire again; warmth begins to infuse the chilly cabin.
Ah, Winter! You’ve arrived!
Second cup of steaming coffee accompanies me to the deck.
I have to smell the freezing, chill air; so brisk it takes the breath away.
There it is! That crisp and lovely scent of pine. Refreshing!
Nowhere to sit with the coffee, since the chairs are covered in ice.
Brave birds cover the bird feeder and relish the seeds I’ve put there for them; fluffed feathers making them look like plump, roly poly little things.
More coffee, eggs, sausage and toast go with me to the little table by the window, as I watch the winter morning unfold.
Fire crackling well now; should last for a bit.
Donning hat, gloves, scarf, heavy jacket, boots; out I go to brave the cold and see the meadow and forest that winter has created.
No one is really out and about this morning.
Evidence of creature activity is all around, but those brave souls must already be back in warm, earthy dens; watching me from hollowed out logs or nests in tree branches; wondering at the sight of me.
Trudging on for a bit; breathing in the wintry, piney air; chilled nose, ears and chin; time to turn back.
The idea of a warm blanket, hot water with lemon, comfy slipper socks by the fire with my book is too strong of a call.
Shedding layers and climbing under the blanket, I relax and am swept away by the book.
Clouds have rolled in while I read. Brisk wind crept up and is rattling bare branches. Colder.
Dinner tonight will be hot bubbling soup and warm bread that I took a break from reading to prepare.
Back under the blanket, watching the fire, I hear the shushing sound of ticking snow on the deck.
Tomorrow morning will be white.
The forest is quiet; night has fallen on the cabin.
Extravagant Hope 