Journal #8: Autumn

I spent this past weekend at home, in the great state of Minnesota. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and I was able to spend an afternoon outside in our back yard. The leaves this year were especially colorful because of the abundant rain from the spring and summer. The warm sun was shining brightly on my back and a light wind was blowing the leaves in the trees—it made a vibrant backdrop for many fall photos. The leaves were a bright yellow and orange, and they appeared to be glowing in the sun. My entire back yard had an almost magical feel. Every so often, a leaf would lightly wind its way to the ground. I picked one up and examined its color. It’s amazing how they can be so green all summer and then turn to such a vibrant yellow or orange or red color in the fall. My eyes were blinded by the natural glow of the colorful maple trees that radiated and shimmered in the wind. It was a stark contrast from the brown bark of the trees and the dark green grass.

As I walk through the woods to the green grass of the golf course, I notice a squirrel sitting high above me gnawing on a nut of some sort. Amongst the tall oak trees, the squirrels are leaping from branch to branch, and then from tree to tree like flying acrobats! I have yet to see a squirrel fall from a tree and come tumbling to the ground. As you look up even higher in the trees, you can see a large lump, some sort of mass of leaves and branches tangled together, in a shape that resembled a nest. It appeared to be an organized mound that was intricately put together. The squirrels scatter quickly as they come and go from their homes high up in the trees. The ground is full of acorns below my feet. They make a crunching sound as I walk on the path of matted leaves and branches. The acorns are an intriguing part of nature. They have a unique shape with a woven-like cap on the body of a nut. I love how they are food for the squirrels and yet an important part of re-growth of trees in the forest. It is truly amazing feat of nature to watch the seemingly miniscule little nut grow into a massive oak tree over the course of 40 to 50 years.

As I made my way through the woods, I eventually enter onto the golf course behind my home, the stark green grass is an expansive sight in contrast to the woods that separate our yard from the course. The short, dark green grass appears like a velvet blanket, and not a leaf in sight on this massive green land. So meticulously groomed, not a blade of grass out of place. In the sandy bunker, you can see a deer track that had walked through earlier, likely in the middle of the night when no one was watching. The wind is slightly blowing and the smell of a campfire blows from across the fairway. The evergreen trees that line the edge of the course are full of pine cones. I pick one off the tree and feel the sticky sap produced from this beautiful Christmas-like tree. The pine cone looks like a mini tree, so elegantly shaped. The pine smell from the sap is so fresh. Again, another amazing gift from nature.

This fall walk through the woods reminds me how much I love the seasons of Minnesota. The leaves and plants first change into multi-colored works of art, then fall away, creating a bare, vulnerable landscape of branches. It reveals the true scenery underneath. The dead leaves and branches on the ground disintegrate and become part of the soil again. It represents a beautiful cycle of loss, regeneration and then re-growth as spring comes around again. Mother nature produces so many beautiful elements that if not looked at more closely are surely missed.