Friday, October 2, 2009

Autumn's burnished colors



I just love the afternoon light in autumn, and the way it turns my walks to golden moments.



In autumn, everything seems burnished somehow, and my favorite shades of russet and copper and yellow surround me.

I'm punch-drunk on color.


Under decaying logs on the forest floor, mushrooms pop up...



On maples and aspens, birch and cottonwoods, the leaves make a spectacular farewell. Some say our Northwest fall is nothing compared to the Eastern woods, but I was a California girl, and I find our autumn nothing short of splendid.




Along the river I find gems all around my own home...

rose hips...
brambly hedges of blackberry...
gently drifting ginkgo leaves...



It's time to bake a pan of apples in celebration, and eat them by the fire while the rain drips from the eaves.

Summer was grand but nothing beats autumn, does it?