It’s that time of year. A subconscious desire begins to bubble. I feel restless. I want to spend more time outdoors. The combines have begun to harvest the late corn. I want to walk in the woods. There’s a crispness in the air . . .
The annual hunt for the perfectly turned red maple leaf has begun!
Having spent all of my life in the northeastern part of the continent, I have learned to love all of the seasons; yes, even winter! But autumn, autumn is a season that makes me restless. Spring is full of anticipation. Summer is a time for adventures, and winter is for hibernating. But autumn!
Everywhere you turn, fall colours explode, creating a gigantic game of hide-and-seek. Patience is required in this hunt. Knowing where the best trees are is important, but so is timing and serendipity. Just when you think you’ve found the perfect leaf, and entered it into the leaf-pressing book, you find another that might possibly be its’ superior. A drive in the country might be required, but you’re just as likely to find this year’s beauty lying in the gutter.
On the hunt for beauty.
It doesn’t have to be autumn for you to find beauty. You just have to be on the look out for it. Start small. A single leaf could change your direction. A stand of changing trees could open your eyes to something new.
Regardless of what you find, the hunt for beauty is the catalyst for your own unfolding transformation.
The Wailin’ Jennys
All Things Bright and Beautiful
by John Rutter
Symphony No. 10 “To Autumn Time”
by Joachim Raff
Bamburg Symphony Orchestra