Month: November 2021

A huge transformation takes place in the woods each spring and fall. In the spring leaves appear and the woods’ primary colors changes from browns to greens. In the fall, the primary colors change again from a whole range of greens, oranges, and reds to brown again.

For us we have these new fall colors on the trees around us and underfoot.

At first the colors are primarily yellows and browns on the ground with moss showing through. The browns get darker and reds start to appear.

Eventually all the leaves are on the ground and we are kept busy raking and hauling leaves to compost piles.

All the raking tends to keep our eyes to the ground in our yard. Walking in the woods, it’s different. This photo was taken from down in the hollow looking up at our ridge.

Not all the leaves fall. Beech trees retain their leaves until spring. When this photo was taken the beech leaves had turned yellow. Now they are brown.

After leaves start to fall we begin to see the sky at our home. The phases of the moon at night. Sunsets at nightfall.

This year two of our cat buddies passed away, Grey and Blondie. Grey got awfully sick in late spring and that’s when he received the diagnosis of congestive heart failure. His condition was stabilized and we brought him home. He was able to be with his cat buddies, Kitty Boy, Peach Blossom, Blondie and Willow, and was starting to get along better with Tansy.

The inevitable end came in mid-August. He was able to be outside, this and the two following photos were taken the day he died, being in the world he loved with his buddies nearby.

The woods always has elements of birth, life, and death. It had rained heavily the night before. Drops are held by a small spider’s web.

Leaves fall and they hold rain drops for a while.

Blondie had a range of serious health problems but he always sprang back and if anything was better than before. A month after Grey died he was chipper and full of adventure one day, the next he was not. He passed away shortly afterwards.

We posted this photo by Molly of Blondie two years ago and it is still one of my favorites. We all miss our two guys.