If you are expecting a political diatribe or an in depth analysis of our current economic condition, there are any number of insightful posts available to study. I do have the same hopes, concerns and fears about the future that others do. Sometimes though, a title can be taken literally…as is today’s title. We’re not out of the woods here in Balsam, NC. In fact in all of Western North Carolina, we are very fortunate to be surrounded by the woods!
All seasons have something unique to celebrate, and we’d have to search really hard to find someone who doesn’t appreciate the startlingly capricious nature of autumn. Everything changes so dramatically and constantly considering how discreetly it begins.
The sounds of the wind go from soft hushes flowing over green leaves to a sort of percussion of tapping sound as the dry multi-colored leaves click rhythmically against each other. The sounds of your footfalls are no longer muffled with soft grasses, the crunching of leaves make advance announcements of your arrival long before you reach your destination.
The scents on the air are somehow cleaner, devoid of the perfume of blooms. Not necessarily better, just different. The air smells like clean earth. While the colors are showy, the fragrance is so subtle. Along with the scents, the temperature of the air can vary wildly. Anything from 80 degrees to freezing isn’t unexpected.
And, then there are the colors. The autumn show really begins late in August here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Teeny, tiny changes. So understated that you have to check yourself to be sure you even noticed. Maybe it’s because we have so many levels of elevation here coupled with such diverse plant life but from September to early October is like an opening act to a major headliner.
Once we reach the second week of October, the show begins in earnest…somewhere…and runs through early to mid November…somewhere. Every single day produces a set change to the performance stage. A tree can be green one day and literally burnished with orange the next. Every day I look out towards the Balsam Mountain Range from the computer at our house. In the backyard there are several maple trees that were strongly green just three days ago, two days ago some yellows appeared, yesterday oranges, today the maples are a riot of yellows, oranges and reds.
There is no way I could ever ignore how fortunate I feel to live where I do. The Blue Ridge Parkway property surrounds our own. The US Park Service woods are mine to play in whenever I want. The photos here were taken Sunday when I crossed the creek and wandered with the camera. These woods recharge my soul and energy, which current political and economic times threaten to deplete. Luckily, I have the utmost faith that nature is stronger and as long as I’m never out of the woods for very long any day to day struggle can be handled.
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