In the light of the tilting earth, the wind sweeps in rain and cool air, igniting the landscape in a warmth of colors and the plumage of fall spreads its wings in a dazzling display.
While our deciduous friends are shedding their foliage and entering a season of rest, licorice ferns are awakening. Their vibrant green illuminates my spirit in winter’s waning light. Their fronds create beautiful patterns as they grow and overlap in a lush carpet on the ground or cascade down the side of a tree.
Newts dreamily saunter around in the mosaic of colors blanketing the forest floor, bathing in the moisture and the sweetness of decaying leaves.
Ruby-crowned kinglets return to the valley to spend the winter. They acrobatically zip and zing through the bare branches celebrating life.
Chipmunks scurry about highways of mossy logs and secret passageways through the tangled debris on the forest floor. In their bustling excursions, they find time to rest and soak up some rays that occasionally break through the clouds.
The rain creates mud where you can find footprints recording the comings and goings of animals.
Mosses and lichens are awakened and restored by the rain. Their lush and bright spirits have come back to the forefront of my awareness.
It is easy to find yourself spending more time indoors this time of year, but there is so much to experience and explore! Bundle up, and I hope to see you out there.
