Still Swooning Over Autumn Loveliness

 "Fall is begging for us to dance and sing and write with just the same drama and blaze.”  ~ Shauna Niequist

I love autumn days. I love how the leaves -- now fallen -- nestle into garden nooks and spread across green lawns. I love the way these crinkly bits of nature blend with honey-hued rocks and give a delightful contrast against herbs and perennials still green.

And, isn't a splash of colour -- just like in the photo -- perfect for brightening up the whole thing?

It's a different kind of beauty we enjoy now than what we loved in full summer bloom. Rose bushes once flush with delicate pink blossoms look like sticks in the ground. The purple stalks of liatris now make me think of miniature bulrushes. And, our majestic sunflowers droop nearer the earth as they send their last bit of energy into forming seeds instead of standing tall.  

Personally, I don't see the fuss about getting the leaves off the lawn. I prefer an 'au naturale' look myself. Although, I admit, there is a certain romance to the whole thing of raking up the leaves into a great pile for kids or dogs to romp through (be sure to see too-cute video). If I were to rake, it would for that reason -- not because it looks unsightly. So one might ask if we just leave them on the lawn here in the city where we live. Alas, no, hubby takes that in hand and very un-romantically mows them up into the lawn mower bag for the compost. 

That's why I'm taking JOY in this leafy mess before said mower does its job and 'tidies up the place a bit'.

On that note, I'm leaf-ing you with this wonderful piece of autumn word artistry by Shauna Neiquiest, author of books like Bread and Wine, and Cold Tangerines....

“Fall: bright flame before winter’s deadness; harvest; orange, gold, amber; cool nights and the smell of fire. Our tree-lined streets are set ablaze, our kitchens filled with the smells of nostalgia: apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself ... and everything we see is celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white and silence of winter. Fall is begging for us to dance and sing and write with just the same drama and blaze.” ~ Shauna Neiquiest

Have a*´¨)
> ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
> (¸.·´ (¸.·´ * beautiful day! *

Hugs,
Brenda
xox

Photo:  Brenda Leyland, 2014

Graphic:  Glittergraphics.coms

Shauna's Quote: First read on post by Adrienne Westenfeld