Get the Chickens in the Road 2009 Wall Calendar! Click here!Posted by Suzanne McMinn on October 10, 2008
Autumn is moving into full swing with each day here. No more is there simply a promise of color in the woods; the color is snapping, crackling, and popping everywhere I look.
Only six months ago, I was eagerly awaiting, even demanding, these leaves burst out of their buds and save me from the long, cold winter and its barren branches.
Now they’re at the end of their life cycle–which is, of course, just another beginning. The next few weeks will be the most beautiful time of the year. The leaves will go out as if in a fiery crash. I love them! And I can’t be satisfied with adoring them outdoors alone. I want them inside, with me, all the time. And why not? They’re free! And oh so plentiful. And, after all, did I not conjure them up with my late winter wishes? I think they’re mine.
I set off for a walk along the old logging trail on the hill near our new farmhouse. Dogs can never pass up a walk, and they always make it more fun.
I don’t have to go far.
The gorgeous color is everywhere. I want some of this:
Of course, nothing worth having comes easily. I have to scramble over there–
–without falling in a hole or sliding off a log or tripping over an eager helper (dog).
Beautiful leaves are worth the effort. And the mud and the scrapes and the canine assistance.
I take my bounty home….
…and claim it as my own, at least for the day or so it will last indoors. It’s like stealing a breath or putting a second in a jar. I can’t keep these autumn leaves for long–and I wouldn’t want to. Their fleeting nature is at the core of their value. But I’ve captured them, for now, for that same breath and that same second.
And tomorrow, I can catch some more!
Get the Chickens in the Road 2009 Wall Calendar! Click here!Posted by Suzanne McMinn on October 10, 2008
2:28
am
I second everything you just said! The summer flew by, as they always do, but Fall has it’s own magic. There is nothing prettier than the trees all dressed in in Autumn finery. (Beautiful pictures by the way!)
5:12
am
I love the colors of fall leaves! So many different shades from yellow to red.
Coco always looks so happy!
6:05
am
I once had two crimson leaves that I let dry and hung on my bulletin board. They were there for almost 10 years until the day I went to move the board and they crumbled. I loved looking at them everyday though. xxoo
6:41
am
I like your mason jar display. Very creative!
6:46
am
Our school played football against Ravenswood last night and the hour drive was beautiful thanks to our beautiful West Virginia hills!! What a great idea to bring some of that beauty inside!
7:00
am
Love it - nature’s stained glass for us. We have some trees turning but not much yet. But thank goodness we do have cooler weather, 60s at night and 80 during the day and next week in the 70s. Yea!! I love fall. Will drive into East Texas Sunday to meet my sister for lunch, hope it is bursting with color.
Coco is getting bigger!! Love to see them out and about and to see beeyourself too!!! Cant beat pie on the pie porch.
7:06
am
How will the animals stay warm in winter on the farm?
7:28
am
I love this time of year and being in Minnesota we have a very gorgeous Fall. Everywhere you look the trees are changing and showing us their beautiful colors. I love to sit by our windows in the morning and just admire the lovely reds and golds while I enjoy my cup of coffee. I also usually go for a walk each morning (need the exercise) and can then admire the whole neighborhood and the changing colors.
7:50
am
I love the line, “putting a second in a jar.”
8:05
am
I love the line, “putting a second in a jar.”
- annie d.
Me Too!
8:52
am
It’s my favorite time of year. Down here in Tennessee, fall comes late. I have noticed a golden tinge here and there in a few trees. It won’t be long until we have some real color. Here in the Mississippi Delta, it’s not as pretty in the higher elevations…but it’s still nice. But, nowhere NEAR as nice as where you are…and points east and north. Thanks for sharing. It makes it feel so much more “fall-y” here.
8:56
am
Wonderful! I love fall in WV!
8:59
am
Have you ever tried preserving the leaves by putting glycerine in the jar? I’m not sure of the formula- but we did it as children and had the leaves supple for a couple of years.
9:18
am
You are so lucky……the area I live in we never have normal seasons. We are still in the 90’s. However we did get one cold front and the temps dropped to 59 one night but the afternoon still brought us 89 to 90 degress temps.
10:18
am
We drove to Huntington yesterday, and the route west through WV on I79 and then I64 was lined all the way with a panorama of brilliantly colored leaves. I’ve been meaning to go outside and photograph our farm from the same position I used in winter, spring and summer so I’ll have a full year’s worth of seasons. If I don’t hurry up there won’t be fall leaves, just bare branches. It’s hard to believe that in a month or so the only color left will be the green of the evergreens.
In girl scouts yeh those many years ago we used to gather the leaves and iron them between two sheets of waxed paper. The wax would melt enclosing the leaves. Later on we used clear contact paper to do the same thing; with contact paper we were even able to cut around the leaves or use the whole sheet as a placemat. You bring back such memories for me.
10:33
am
Just beautiful! I love fall.
10:55
am
It’s funny we both did walk pictures today. Yours are beautiful.
11:32
am
I am so envious of your view!!! and a logging trail…oh and your river ford and OH your chickens!!
Tresh in OK
11:47
am
Wow, Coco is getting so big!
12:28
pm
Just lovely. I’m a little distressed that the temps are climbing for the next few days, until Monday when the temps will get back into the 60s. I WANT FALL!! Love that sweater and hoodie weather!
Blessings from Ohio…
12:44
pm
Very pretty pictures today. You have a bit more color than we do in MD.
1:42
pm
Suzanne, you are in a gold mine of natural treasure!!! I was in a store this week, buying an arrangement for an older lady friend (who already has a jillion real plants of her own and a gorgeous garden/sun porch, ect.). Most of the things in this store were on sale for a few days and they make GORGEOUS things, so tons of Fall wreaths, arrangements. I was pricing things and the wreaths were on sale for about 25 or 29 and then the arrangments in baskets and things were about 49, for a nice one…
With all you have shown us and made - you can make everything for dirt cheap, as you said and it is so beautiful, so how fortunate that you have all of this at your disposal and even FRUIT to make PEAR BUTTER!!! What a gift to live in all that!
I had missed seeing Beeyourself post and was getting ready to comment…but I see she is there…I had no idea, or overlooked her mentioning she knew people there!!! How nice! I am glad to see what she looks like!
3:31
pm
Beautiful…
And how is your bittersweet supply? Mine is just starting to open. I usually put it all over the house in one form or another, and it lasts for a year!
3:58
pm
I’m outside of Pittsburgh and I think we’re just a tad ahead of you - more deep colors. Unfortunately my cats would eat the darn things but I’m surrounded so all I have to do is look outside my window. And we got some warm weather this week so it’s just gorgeous!
4:23
pm
I have been eagerly awaiting Fall. The leaves here aren’t really turning yet, but I can’t wait until they do!
4:25
pm
Fall is the most beautiful time of the year!
6:58
pm
Gorgeous pictures of the leaves!
7:10
pm
Thanks for the leaves! And the photo of the visitors… I’m sure Coco got a few cookies too. She’s just too adorable, but I confess I still like to go back to the puppy posts and see the GIANT PUPPY photos. Have a great weekend! PS. Are you going to make some walnut pie? Like Pecan pie only with Black Walnuts? Would that even work?
7:34
pm
The colors of fall are great. You don’t even realize how great they are until you take pictures and look at them.
7:41
pm
My walk in the woods this afternoon netted me two large sheephead mushrooms. My first mushroom find in 73 years!! I was excited. Also found 2 more but they were past their prime (and who am I to talk?)
11:22
pm
what beautiful leaves! Have you heard of preserving some of your colorful bounty by dipping in melted paraffin? That way you could enjoy the leaves into winter…
1:02
pm
Suzanne-
Great blog! Love the Fall foliage photos.
Skip
7:38
pm
I love the crunch sound as I step through the leaves on my daily walk. Love it. Our leaves haven’t changed here much though. I think we’re a week or two away from the full color.
10:42
pm
Craft idea straight from the photographs. Did you know you can keep those beautiful colors in fall leaves? Simple, too!
Grab a white, mostly cottob, cloth, a piece of lumber, a hammer, and your leaves. place the leaves on te board, cover with the cloth, pound with the hammer, and voila–colors saved!