Late yesterday afternoon, I walked by the front window and happened to glance outside, toward the country road that passes in front of our house here in chic and trendy Dunstable… which, of course, is not chic – nor trendy – but is astoundingly beautiful in that New England-y farm-rolling pasture-cows-barns-church steeple-y way.

Our town is pretty in all of its seasons but, this being New England, fall kicks everyone else’s asses and steals the show every year.

I know right?

Narcissistic bastard.

But for some reason, Fall has been sitting on his hands this year.

Our trees have remained green for a little longer than usual… at least it feels this way to me and my camera, both itching to click away at oranges and reds and golds.

When I looked outside yesterday afternoon, and I don’t know why it didn’t catch my eye yesterday morning, the sun was lighting the tops of the young trees that hang out down at the end of the driveway, like teenagers on the corner. Nothing to do but chill and chat quietly to one another about teenager things, shutting up when I get too close.

I think I saw one tree trying to skateboard once, but I can’t be sure.

It was as if the light was purposefully pointing out, as light sometimes does, that the changes that I’d sensed in the winds up in Maine – way back in August – were now upon me.

The heady mixture of the colors.

The nip of the air as I opened the door, camera at my side.

Autumn light.

Isn’t it funny about change…

How you can so often feel it, just hanging out there.

And you know it’s coming, sometimes it’s even inevitable.

But yet, when it actually arrives… there is that element of surprise.

It’s here.

And depending on what it is…

It’s miraculously…

tragically…

delightfully…

horrifyingly…

comfortably…

unsettlingly…

joyously…

painfully…

wondrously…

here.

Job changes, life changes, death changes, kid changes, dog changes, cat changes (freakin’ chicken changes), home changes, family changes, neighbor changes, school changes, friend changes…

All changes…

And when they arrive, there is no more of the anticipating or guessing or wondering or worrying or planning…

Because that is replaced by greeting and engaging and exploring and …

and getting to know the new world around you.

One step at a time.

One element at a time.

Or… one gloriously, brilliantly, beautiful, amazing, astounding, and periodically fiery leaf

at a time.

Thanks for readin’.

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