Autumns Love Song
"I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!" – L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Hello Dear Friend,
My morning started on the Blue Ridge Parkway, along with quite a few college students I might add, as I claimed my spot at one of the popular overlooks and waited for the sun to come out to play. Of course the day I decide to start off my weekend with an early morning, outdoor adventure and force my tired body out of my cozy bed is the day that a frost advisory is forecasted. So, I kept old Firefly running for a bit with the heat on as I sipped my morning coffee and wait for the dark skies to illuminate.
Rudeneja (Roo-den-Ay-HA) verb: The way that nature and/or the weather begins to feel like autumn.
Slowly the day awakes from its sleep and a cast of warm vibrant hues begins to peak over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Before too long it’s just light enough to see the ripple of blue rolling hills with dense fog settled low in between the peaks that make up what is affectionately known as the Blue Ridge Parkway. They go on and on until eventually the ridge in the horizon seems to have collapsed into the dusty rose, amber, and fiery yellow skies to which the low-lit mountains in the distance look purple as the ones up front are still a silhouette.
I snap some photos in an attempt to capture the moment. Of course pictures can’t do the beauty that I’m watching unfold justice but I try anyway until my fingers are so cold they’re just shy of being numb and my nose starts to run a bit from the assaulting cold air. But I don’t care. I feel alive and free as early autumn wakes me up from a long slumber. Just like a child would wake up a parent and urge them in a begging plea to get up and play, the autumn winds seem to do the same as if to say, “C’mon, get up! Come play with us!”
As I watch God paint the skies with His latest masterpiece not only do I feel alive but I feel whole. I feel energized and strong and ready to embrace whatever may come my way. As I take a few deep breaths of the cold autumn mountain air, I’m happy with who I am and where I am, I’m happy to be alive and to live in the present of the moment.
“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar Wilde
My day continues to unfold as I venture to get a bit of exercise my plan is to make a few laps around one of the local lakes. When I arrived I’m surprised and grateful for the beauty that’s stretched out before me. So I took a few leisure laps with my camera in hand and on the ready. I’m in awe by the splendor of the beautiful day that God has created. The warming sun rises just above the trees to burn off the light fog that tries to blanket the lake. But the fog is quickly fleeing and is carried off the lake by the chilling autumn winds. If you look closely through the moving fog you can see a flock of geese hanging out, somewhat camouflaged, under the trees and among the foliage on the island in the middle of the lake. Their occasional honks to each other are the only sign that gives away their position until they eventually decide take off in flight.
I love to hear the flock’s honk-honk coming from somewhere above and I immediately look up when I hear it searching the sky for them taking it as a promise that the fall season is well underway. So this morning I watch as they peruse the lake, honking to each other they fly off as the tall standing trees with their orange and yellow leaves reaching out to meet the blues skies above serve as the perfect backdrop for these migrating beauties. Then to hear the sound they make when they make their landing in the water breaking the silence of the quiet morning – brings pure joy! It’s the little things, you know the stuff that goes unnoticed to most, that play the pawns and pieces that make up this beautiful world we live in.
After about three laps meandering around the lake, I’m cold, I can’t feel my fingers again and there is an even colder patch you hit while making your way around the water. I can see my breath and wonder how long it will take before the day seems to warm up. After checking the time I decide to shove the camera (and my hands) into my puffer vest pockets and move into a brisk walk for a couple more laps. By the time I made it back to my car I was five laps in and had gone about 4 miles. Ok, now my lungs feel clean after deeper inhales of fresh air. I’m ready for more coffee, luckily there is some left in my travel mug and it still happens to be pretty warm.
The last bit of this day’s adventure has me going to a local art show in a very tourist populated downtown to support a friend who happens to be one of the vendors. It was crazy busy since it honestly was the perfect day to be outside everyone seemed to flee to the mountains to get away from everyday life. I hung out at my friends booth for a long while talking with her in between the moments when I’d listening to her interact with the curious crowd moseying in and out of her booth. I later took a spin to peruse the other vendors before making my way back to her to let her know which vendors to check out, where her friend – a fellow vendor – had ended up so that she knew which direction to go to visit her later, and to say my good-byes before heading home.
I spent the majority of the rest of my day on the couch wrapped in a blanket since I had flung open the windows to my apartment almost as soon as I got home. With my fall scented candles lit and my body cocooned up in a bundle of warmth I sat drinking more coffee, one of which may or may not have been Irish, with my laptop perched on top of my legs looking over the photos I’d taken throughout the morning and watching fall harvest type shows & movies. Yeah I’ll admit my day was spent playing hooky and escaping from the adult life for a while. But sometimes that’s not only ok it’s needed and I definitely needed it!
With love,
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