Autumn in the Heart

Cottonwood tree, Boulder, CO

Partly because I was lazy today, and partly because I miss autumn and have not yet gotten Boulder out of my system, I am posting these two photographs from my recent vacation. Contrary to the stated preferences of many people I meet, I love autumn and winter. Autumn, in fact, is my favorite season, and so here I am in Phoenix, suffering from autumn withdrawal. I will have to get back to Sedona soon, or visit Flagstaff, some place in Arizona where autumn is very much alive. It is not until you move to a place without four seasons that you begin to appreciate how they add punctuation to the year, providing a sense of direction and purpose, and a meaningful bio-cycle. Even though Phoenix can get cold during the winter months, somehow enjoying a cup of hot chocolate on a desert night is just not the same as it is in a place where leaves turn scarlet or gold, or where dried brown leaves on the ground scamper off in the chilly breeze, or crackle beneath your feet. I will need another fix of autumn soon. Meanwhile, tomorrow should be a day for taking photographs, and so I promise to contribute more to this blog very, very soon.

Cottonwood tree and moon, Boulder, CO

Cottonwood to Go

Cottonwood tree, Boulder Creek Trail, Boulder, CO

Okay, one more Boulder, Colorado, photograph, another picture of a cottonwood tree. I love the interplay of shadow and light. This cottonwood has only been lightly touched by autumn, its leaves rustling softly in the chilly breeze. Many of its arms seem to stretch, to be reaching out to sunlight and sky. This is a scene that suggests serenity, nourishing faith and hope in the soul, and provides a feeling of belonging in the family of things, and a sense of great satisfaction that I can revisit whenever I am in need of spiritual renewal:

"While here I stand, not only with the sense
Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts
That in this moment there is life and food
For future years."  (William Wordsworth, Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey)

Autumn Cottonwoods, Boulder, CO

Cottonwoods along the Boulder Creek Trail, Boulder, CO

Okay, I lied. I have to post one more photo today. My first two days in Boulder last weekend were gray and chilly, with occasional rain. I love those type of misty autumn days. But I also love sunny autumn days, when the sky is a crisp, clear blue and sunlight bathes the land. That was precisely the type of day that I welcomed on Sunday, my last full day in Boulder, when I spent the morning walking farther along the Boulder Creek Trail into the mountains. I love cottonwood trees in autumn, the way they turn to a bright, sunny gold, similar to the way that aspens change in the fall. Here is a choice photo I took of cottonwood trees while on the Boulder Creek Trail. As you can see, there is a house tucked in behind all of the foliage. Some lucky people get to enjoy this view each and every morning, and I am jealous. Happy autumn, everyone!