The threatening storm had passed us by...
...and the sun was filtering through the cloud cover creating bright sunlight in the midst of dark cloud cover. As the sunlight hit the trees, it created a stark contrast to the darker clouds above. The trees looked literally as if they were on fire. Against the cloud cover, the effect was almost surreal. I wish I could take full credit for the capture, but let's face it, it would be very difficult to take a bad photograph under such circumstances.
A need for renewal....
Although it had been a busy and difficult day, I was determined to fit in a hike. I had just found out that my father’s cancer - kept in check by biologics and chemo - had returned full force. We were at the end of the line. You know its bad when it is strongly suggested that the patient get their “affairs in order”. He had dodged so many bullets over the past 2 and a half years that I scarcely believed the news myself. But I knew instinctively that this time was different. Our relationship had always been contentious. I had only really gotten to know him during the last three years of his life after the crisis was upon him. I needed desperately to push a reset button and get my mind and heart in a better place so I could better face the days ahead. Getting out of doors and forgetting the “real world” is one my great stress relievers. I needed that walk - and I had to make it happen.
Fall fire at the Rockefeller Preserve - and the changing seasons...
It took some work on my part, but I was finally able to carve out a couple of hours and so I found myself at the Rockefeller Preserve in Sleepy Hollow NY with my ever-ready companions - Jade and Tundra in tow. The weather was blustery and crisp. The Preserve is beautiful in all seasons, but I’ve got to admit that the autumn venue is my favorite. The lazy long days of summer had passed and the animal residents are busily preparing for the winter that lies ahead. I got mental images of all the animals saving and storing and shoring up for the cold and lean months ahead. The same can be said for the trees that are shedding their leaves in a magical display of bright color. The process that they go through is as biologically necessary as it is visually spectacular. Soon I found that my camera was taking full advantage of peaking fall foliage. The concerns of the day and life were fading and I was caught up in the beauty of the place.
The Cycle of Life...
The cycle of life continues on. We can not stop it. My father lost his battle with cancer on April 30 2010. He went to a better place after his long battle. And the Preserve? By late April it was busy renewing itself with the promise of a new life. The goslings and ducklings were hatching and taking their first tentative swim in the lake, the birds were building nests and foraging for their young. The trees were budding and blooming and the Peonies Monument planted at the entry to the Preserve for the victims of 9/11/2001 were starting to bud.
We do not live forever. We are all a part of the cycle of life. What is important is how we choose to live. Do we leave the world we lived a better place for our presence or not?
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