Autumn

The light of day closes around us, cold and crisp, the howling wind. The leaves burst into flaming colors, before cascading slowly to the ground. Soon, the nakedness of the forest, the cold frost and withering vines are all that remain of the fading summer. Rain and wind, intermingled with brief glimpses of sunlight rule the days, cold frost and mists, the nights.The Autumnal equinox is upon us, half way between summer and winter, life and death.

With Autumn comes the harvest; a time to reap the bounty of our mother earth. A time to celebrate and give thanks for that bounty. A transitional time between life and death. Generations of people before us have prepared for the coming winter, storing food, and fuel, hunting and gathering. It has become a part of our souls. Still today people hunt and gather in the fall, fulfilling that primal need to prepare.

Sit in the forest this fall and listen, leave your busy world behind and open your mind. The squirrel scampering through the freshly piled leaves, stopping to scratch the earth in search of acorns, the bleating of a fawn seeking its mother, its tail quick to raise at the slightest hint of danger. If you listen close, you might hear the faint clang of antlers clashing deep in a draw as young bucks wrestle for dominance. The shriek of an eagle, searching for an afternoon meal, riding the thermals as it circles the wood. The sounds and sights go on and on, taking you back to a time before instant everything. A time when we were closer to nature.

Living close to the earth, taking only what one needs to survive: Autumn gives us that opportunity, to celebrate who we are, who came before us, and the bounty with which we have been blessed. Take a walk this fall and let your senses experience the world around you.