The Palisades in Autumn
My backyard extended a little further this past week as I
traveled up the Palisades parkway along the New Jersey side of the Hudson River
on the way to Massachussetts. The trees were dressing the cliffs with fall
colors and the roads were crunchy with fallen leaves. It is autumn, at last.
The temperatures here are still a tad warmer than is typical but that should be
changing soon; I heard that tomorrow will only be in the mid-fifties.
Autumn is usually such a lovely time of year in the
northeast. It provides a palette of reds and golds as the trees begin their
resting period. It is a gradual transition from the intensity of summer into
the extremes of winter. While each season has its typical characteristics, I
find the edges between them most interesting. It helps the land and the animals
prepare for what is coming. It signals migrating birds to fly.
I think it helps people, too, to anticipate the next phase
of the year. We get clues on how to dress, what foods are best to eat, what
activities are appropriate to engage in. I’m glad that I live in a four-seasons
area even though in the midst of winter I sometimes wonder about a warmer
climate. But then I would miss the snow. When the seasons change, it feels like
I have finished reading one book and am ready, eager, to start on another.
Wherever we live, whatever the weather, each season has its holidays, its plant cycles, and its
own personality, its individual charisma, all there for us to enjoy.
A
look at the Palisades and activities available:
And a look at the characteristics of the seasons:
Ferida, What a beautiful picture. I love your comparison of the changing seasons to a book.
ReplyDelete-Barbara
Thanks, Barbara. Yes, the seasons really are page-turners. Hope you are enjoying these beautiful Fall days.
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