Red leaves and looking

The fall is just amazing, but it changes quickly. Only a couple days ago there were still a fair few trees with green leaves still. The ones that had gone early, mostly yellow ones with small leaves, were starting to drop them and expose bare branches, but you got the feeling the full crescendo was still in the future.

Last night was maybe the apex and I didn't even realize it at the time. At lunch I noticed a yellow tree out the windows that was just glowing, and it had dropped enough leaves on the ground that there was a glowing reflection beneath it. Like in Spring in Brisbane when the jacarandas bloom and create a purple mirror on the ground beneath them, but canary yellow instead. The red ones have started turning now, and the bunches of sumac on the side of the highway, and some others that are these unnatural deep burgundy color. Driving home last night with a sky full of flat midwestern clouds, just at sunset, the sky was all pink and the trees were all purple - it was almost too much, really.

Last night a front came through with a strong wind, and today many, many trees stood bare with grey branches. I remember the grey branches from February, and March, and April, when I was waiting to see the first bud that would prove to me that this winter wouldn't last forever. Seeing so many of them so suddenly was a carpe diem moment this morning. I should have taken photos a few days ago. I should have gone outside during lunch and just stood under the boughs and turned circles and seen them.

There's still a lot of glory left, especially if you focus on the currently beautiful ones as isolated entities, but you know, it's fleeting. Changes every day. If you blink, or stay in with the blinds closed, you miss it.

Although, then, the reassuring part of changing seasons and the earth continuing to turn is, you know, next year it will all happen again, exactly the same.