LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Friday, September 6, 2019

Getting Ready for Autumn

September in the mountains provides a glimpse into the future of autumn color.  The trees have a dusky look as the bright shiny green leaves begin to fade a bit.  And a few trees have some color already.  I must admit I am a bit sorry to say goodbye to summer, but we will have more summer days ahead as the weather will change from day to day.  And you all know my determination to take every day I am given.

This view not far from our house shows some of the leaves already beginning to turn.




In many places, the woods are filled with fallen leaves and the wild mushrooms are thriving with our frequent summer storms.














The following photograph was taken near the same area as the others above.  Notice that it seems so much greener and less like autumn than the others.  In the mountains, it makes a bit difference if you grow on one side of the mountain rather than the other.


We enjoy autumn and are fortunate to have miles and miles of roads with magnificent color right in our own community.  We do take drives through the higher mountains even if we have to share our roads with the leaf peepers.  One perk of mountain living is that driving to different elevations provides different signs of changing seasons.  Indeed life is better in the mountains.

For now, we are enjoying the warm sunny days, even as the hours of daylight are diminishing.  And while we enjoy this lovely weather we are also thinking about those who have been in harm's way from Hurricane Dorian.  And all those across our planet who are suffering weather's devastating effects.

The first quote comes from author George Eliot:
"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

And one of my favorites is from an anonymous poet:
"The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go."



HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK, EVERYONE

ENJOY EVERY SINGLE DAY

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love autumn. It is my favorite season because it brings the cooling days after summer. The light is so lovely and balanced; the trees drop their beautiful leaves and stand ready for winter. Then, I endure winter and fall in love with spring.

Vicki Lane said...

Spring is my favorite season but autumn is a close second. I'm beginning to think of hearty soups and stews and of watching the mountains changing colors. We are seeing just a hint already.

Arkansas Patti said...

So glad you didn't get any of the side effects of Dorian.Pays to be in the mountains. This is one of my favorite seasons for the relief from the summer heat and actually, I am one of the few who enjoys winter.

The Bug said...

When we lived in Ohio I dreaded autumn because surely winter wasn't far behind. Down here in NC where winter isn't quite as bad, I enjoy the perks of cooler weather and beautiful trees. I also for some reason really enjoy the bedraggled flower beds.

Nance said...

We've gotten a nice preview of fall here in NEO, but we're having some last gasps of summer later this week with temperatures rising back into the mid- to upper 80s for a few days.

Sigh.

Nothing new for us, but still annoying.

I do love fall, and rather than think of it as the harbinger of winter, I think of it as the season that delays it. And your second quote, the one from the poet, is absolutely lovely. Thanks for sharing it.

Busy Bee Suz said...

I love that you get a sneak peak at the next (and my favorite) season. I joke that fall comes to Florida in mid to late December. :)
I hope your weekend is just perfect.

KB said...

I love autumn... but always with a twinge of sadness. It's a lesson in appreciate this moment rather than looking ahead. Lovely photos and quotes.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Thanks for the wonderful fall views and my favorite month, October, will be here sooner than I would like it to be. September is still nice and warm here in NH and the foliage has not yet fully started to turn colors. And, we also share with the leaf peepers which will be traveling to New England in the coming weeks.

KGMom said...

My absolute favorite season of the year. (And sunset is my favorite time of day.) Hmmm--I am detecting a theme here.

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Robin - That is exactly the way I feel.

Vicki - Ah, yes. Soups and stews and winter squash. All those wonderful kitchen smells.

Patti - I also enjoyed winter when I was younger. The cold and snow in Wisconsin offered a lot of great outdoor activities. As I grew older, winters were no longer fun and I resented the long gray days and sub-zero temperatures. Here in NC it is better but winter is still my least favorite season.

Bug - Interesting. I also love to see the flowers going to seed. And I appreciate the milder winters here in NC.

Nance - I love the idea that fall delays the winter.

Suz - Yes, you have it much milder there. Yet I was once VERY cold during a visit to Florida. A sudden cold snap caught everyone by surprise and we had not brought any warm clothes at all. We were going to Florida after all, who needed warm clothes? Turns out we did.

KB - You are absolutely right. Look to today.

Beatrice - Yes, the peepers will jam the roadways there for sure. I just accept it since there isn't a thing I can do about it.

Donna - I miss the summer twilights. I love to sit on the screen porch and watch the fireflies and listen to the katydids. As the daylight hours shorten so does the length of twilight. No, there is no theme about the autumn of our years.