There yet?
Autumn has always been my favorite time of the
year. I enjoy the cooler days and even
cooler nights. There is a sense of beauty,
fullness, ripeness and even urgency about this season that no other can
match. That’s exactly why I retired five
years ago in late September; I had decided that I wanted to be out in autumn as
much as possible. It was one of the best
decisions I ever made.
My wife sees things slightly different than me. Being a teacher for over twenty years has
left its influence. I remember years
ago, in the midst of a summer heat wave and high humidity, (my least favorite
weather of all) I was looking for some mental assistance to face another
scorching day and announced over breakfast, “Another day closer to fall.” Michelle reacted strongly, “Don’t wish away
my summer!”
I learned my lesson; she’s a very good teacher. Since then, I take my queue from her. I may casually mention a little sign of the
changing times such as, “I noticed that the goldenrod is flowering.” I just say it like that – brief and
factual. It’s kind of like testing the
ice to see if it’s thick enough to walk on yet.
If that goes well, I may sound her out a bit more directly. Last week we went up north for a kayak
paddle. Driving through the big woods of
the north I mentioned, “You can tell that the maple and aspen leaves aren’t as
green as they were in August.” Then I
added, “Are we noticing that yet?” “No”,
came the answer, and so I changed the subject.
The day after that after dinner I looked out the patio
window and noticed a nice buck under the pear tree. He was enjoying a few pears that had fallen
on the ground. “There’s a buck under the
pear tree,” I called out to Michelle who was reading in the living room. “His antlers are all polished out – no velvet
left on them” I watched the buck for
another ten minutes until he turned and headed off south. As I returned to the living room I saw two
deer – a different buck and a doe cross the road and come up into our front
yard. I noted that buck also sported
polished antlers. Then a doe with two
fawns also crossed the road and came up into our yard. “One of the fawns doesn’t have spots anymore.”
I noted. Michelle didn’t react other
than to come to the window for a look.
But, just this morning Michelle mentioned that she
noticed a patch of sumacs along the highway between town and our house were
turning bright red. “I like that crimson
color when they just turn. Still, it
seems a bit early even for sumacs.” She’s
coming around, but there’s no sense pushing the issue. Over the next few weeks, the signs will
become too numerous to ignore; even the calendar will force the point.
But until then I will be patient. I won’t say it, but I can think it silently
to myself, “another day closer to fall.”
His Peace <><
Deacon Dan
Photo by Ted Balmer on Unsplash
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