Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A walk in the woods

I got to put some things in the ground
Even with this season coming around
It's green's last gasp
And leaves brown
And autumn days are winding down
--Sara Hamer - Things to Forget

It's not because I'm going dotty. It has happened twice a year, every year, for many years. So, it's not a symptom of old age creeping near. No, really, it's merely a symptom of the changing seasons.

You see, every spring and every fall I experience a few brief moments when I'm not sure what season it is. It's a deja vu of sorts - when the weather mirrors where it was only a few months before. Are we moving from summer to fall? Or spring to summer?

Whatever it is, it signals my favorite times of year. Beginnings and endings, changing seasons, transition. Change. The air smells different. The breeze is clear. Nature is preparing - for hibernation, for awakening.

Since moving into my house nine years ago, I've witnessed what could be evidence of Brigadoon's annual descension - right outside my backyard. Or not.



It's a morning haze that tells me summer is over. Or winter. Sometimes I have to apply some thought to figure it out...

This past weekend, I went for a two and a half mile stroll in the woods with a friend. She called me up Sunday and said "You wanna go for a hike?" Without hesitation, I threw aside all plans (read: responsibilities) for the afternoon and said "Sure!"

We drove out to the local lake, plotted the "green" and "yellow" paths on the trail and set out. There was a light breeze through the trees, the temperature was perfect... About a quarter of the way down the trail was when I began to open up to the nature around me, lifting my eyes from the path before me.

There wasn't much in the way of wildlife - trail-bikers had ensured that the critters were probably well off the trail in hiding. But there were sounds - birds, crickets, the trees whispering on the wind.

Near the end of our walk, though, we were rewarded with a brief glimpse of one of nature's creatures - a deer who crossed our path, then disappeared into the woods.

As we wound around the trail, I thought of the conspicuous symbolism of the changing season as it relates to my changing life. As cliched as it is, it was inescapable. However, I didn't dwell on it. Instead I opted to just enjoy the walk and take it at face value.

And perhaps that's all I need to do, period. Lift my eyes from the path and just enjoy the walk.



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Posted at 6:05 PM | |