Autumn Amble - W4W Ephemeral

I often take a walk for exercise, fresh air, and clearing the mind. In the basement is a treadmill for those rainy days, but nothing can really compare to walking outside. I take different routes to refresh my senses and to get a glimpse of various nature scenes as they grow and change through the year. It is impossible not to notice all the color at this time of year--the reds and golds and the shadowy light of the low-lying sun.

As I walk through these leaf-filled paths and under the glimmering leaves, I try to savor these images for they are temporary and soon will be gone. Here, autumn has just passed its peak. Now, the leaves will begin to fade to brown and beige and fill the forest floor. Autumn and its artistry will soon be a memory. I am joining Donna at Garden Walk Garden Talk for Word for Wednesday - Ephemeral. Autumn is an ephemeral event.


Ephemeral - brief, episodic, fleeting, transient, impermanent


Although I enjoy living in an area where the seasons cycle through the year, it is always bittersweet to see a season end. Perhaps that is the charm--the seasons leave us wanting more and so we never tire of them.

Another attribute of the seasons is they are never really the same. Each year's autumn may be cooler or warmer than the previous year's autumn-- or more or less colorful. Plants and trees change and grow and therefore are different each autumn than the previous autumn. So, much of what I may see this autumn may be very much altered next autumn.

Much of the time I walk alone so I can completely focus on what I am seeing, smelling, and hearing.

Sometimes it is nice to walk with some like-minded friend who may notice something I did not.

I realize we have weeks to go before the end of autumn, but the array of hues will not be here for long. So, I say goodbye to autumn until next year. Thank you for the exquisite display of colors, textures, and magical sunlight. Thank you for the cool breezes that feel refreshing after a hot summer. I am much obliged to you, Mother Nature, for the opportunity to experience this season of resplendence. Late autumn has its splendor as well, so I say farewell to the undeniable radiance for which autumn is most recognizable.

As I come to the end of my stroll through the pigment of autumn, I stop and relish as much of it as I can...until next year.

©Michelle A. Potter