Geila
9-24-15, 6:00pm
Happy Fall everyone!
Here in the Bay Area, we don't have 4 seasons; we have cool and warm. It used to be wet and dry too, but now it's dry all the time! But still, the signs of the changing season, subtle though they are, are here. The changing light is the most noticeable one for me, starting in late August. The waning light of the sun feels melancholy and gives me a lingering twinge of sadness as I see it go further and further away. The cooler nights and mornings, those are welcome and enjoyed.
And now, it's time to do those little chores and rituals that bid farewell to one season, and welcome the next. For me, it's the thinning and pruning of the garden to let in more of the fading, and more mellow, light. This gives the gardens a nice new openness and imbues the spaces with fresh breathing room. I walk around, coffee in hand, and enjoy the new light in the fresh mornings as the kitties and dogs bask in the morning sunshine.
And bringing that mellow light in as much as possible - changing out the curtains in the north-facing living room to let in more light - I did that last month, as soon as the evening sun was a whisper rather than a roar. Putting away the accumulated summer clutter. Hosing down the patio rug to be put away, gathering the outdoor chair and bench cushions, washing them and putting them in the garage till next year. Thinking about what plants need to be pruned, moved, or removed this coming season. And watching the persimmons begin to blush with color - the Coffee Cake variety colors early and is already the color of a sunset. The citrus trees are all heavy with new fruit. And soon, our own little private fall show with several months of turning leaves from our persimmons, birches, hackberry, pistache, crape myrtle, japanese maple, pear and cherry trees. But that will require patience, as it always seems to come much later than I want it to.
Every fall, the changing season brings to mind our own life season. Dh and I will sit in the garden and enjoy the changing light and talk about our own current season, and how we imagine we too will slide into the next, quietly but surely.
I posted this in spirituality because nature really is my place of worship and where I feel the most whole and aligned with the universe. I'm glad, and grateful, to be surrounded by my loving family unit as I enjoy this day and every day.
Here in the Bay Area, we don't have 4 seasons; we have cool and warm. It used to be wet and dry too, but now it's dry all the time! But still, the signs of the changing season, subtle though they are, are here. The changing light is the most noticeable one for me, starting in late August. The waning light of the sun feels melancholy and gives me a lingering twinge of sadness as I see it go further and further away. The cooler nights and mornings, those are welcome and enjoyed.
And now, it's time to do those little chores and rituals that bid farewell to one season, and welcome the next. For me, it's the thinning and pruning of the garden to let in more of the fading, and more mellow, light. This gives the gardens a nice new openness and imbues the spaces with fresh breathing room. I walk around, coffee in hand, and enjoy the new light in the fresh mornings as the kitties and dogs bask in the morning sunshine.
And bringing that mellow light in as much as possible - changing out the curtains in the north-facing living room to let in more light - I did that last month, as soon as the evening sun was a whisper rather than a roar. Putting away the accumulated summer clutter. Hosing down the patio rug to be put away, gathering the outdoor chair and bench cushions, washing them and putting them in the garage till next year. Thinking about what plants need to be pruned, moved, or removed this coming season. And watching the persimmons begin to blush with color - the Coffee Cake variety colors early and is already the color of a sunset. The citrus trees are all heavy with new fruit. And soon, our own little private fall show with several months of turning leaves from our persimmons, birches, hackberry, pistache, crape myrtle, japanese maple, pear and cherry trees. But that will require patience, as it always seems to come much later than I want it to.
Every fall, the changing season brings to mind our own life season. Dh and I will sit in the garden and enjoy the changing light and talk about our own current season, and how we imagine we too will slide into the next, quietly but surely.
I posted this in spirituality because nature really is my place of worship and where I feel the most whole and aligned with the universe. I'm glad, and grateful, to be surrounded by my loving family unit as I enjoy this day and every day.