Thursday, November 19, 2009

Autumn Treasures

While browsing through my recent photos, I discovered that I have taken quite a few of this past autumn season. I'm glad I did because most all of these trees are now bare and awaiting their first dusting of snow - which I hope will hold off for at least a little while. The images below will take us back to just a couple of weeks ago. I hope you enjoy them.



There is a harmony
In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as if it had not been!
- Percy Bysshe Shelley






Every season hath its pleasures;
Spring may boast her flowery prime,
Yet the vineyard's ruby treasures
Brighten Autumn's sob'rer time.
- Thomas Moore





"Come said the wind to
the leaves one day,
Come o're the meadows
and we will play.
Put on your dresses
scarlet and gold,
For summer is gone
and the days grow cold."
- A Children's Song of the 1880's





"Ere, in the northern gale,
The summer tresses of the trees are gone,
The woods of Autumn, all around our vale,
Have put their glory on."
- William Cullen Bryant





"Falling leaves
hide the path
so quietly"
- John Bailey





"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air."
- Eric Sloane





"Swinging on delicate hinges
the Autumn Leaf
Almost off the stem"
- Jack Kerouac






"It was Indian summer, a bluebird sort of day as we call it in the north,
warm and sunny, without a breath of wind; the water was sky-blue,
the shores a bank of solid gold."
- Sigurd Olson





"Leaf falling on leaf,
on mounds of leaves, rain splashing
in pools of rain ..."
- Gyodai



I'll have some more photos in a few days.

44 comments:

Maria said...

Captured autumn beauty...priceless really!

Maggie May said...

What magnificent colours. Just about sims up Autumn.

Nuts in May

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos Hilary, and I love all of the poems.

Tabor said...

Our fall has been unusually lovely and long this year. (Of course I took off for the higher mountains about a month before the fall reached me here on the water...so guess I cheated a little.) Thanks for the lovely pictures through your fall.

steviewren said...

Your pictures prove that Autumn in the north is infinitely more colorful than ours here in the southern states. The maple leaves are such a vivid color. Simply beautiful.

Suldog said...

I so love Autumn, and your photos perfectly capture what I love about it. Your talent is a treasure.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

some of those maples are electric aren't they?

scarlethue said...

Beautiful photos! Our fall has been very long this year too. We usually get a couple weeks at the most between 90 degree days and 40 degree days, but these 60s and 70s have been drawn out, and it's SO nice.

Mental P Mama said...

Gorgeous;) As always....

Daryl said...

So lovely .. I wish NYC had more of a real change in leaf color .. mostly its green to dead

Clowncar said...

Camera as time machine.

Love the quotes.

Tricia said...

Beautiful. I always love photos of fall leaves reflecting in water...it speaks to me of time passing and the need for contemplation.

Zuzana said...

This is beautiful Hilary. Indeed the autumn this year was one of a kind, with colours out of this world. It also passed way too quickly.
Thank you for bringing it back in your beautiful photography.;)
xo

Anonymous said...

Beautiful combinations of photos and words. Thank you, Hilary.

Country Girl said...

I love your quotes and these wonderful autumn photos, Hilary. All our leaves are gone.

Dianne said...

the reflection in the first is stunning
and then there is the lone orange leaf caught as it falls it appears, that is such an endearing sight - trees are such wonderful beings and offer so much beauty

Wendy said...

Your pics are stunning! They really say "autumn". It's been nice this year, minimal rain and lots of sunny days. Perfect for picture taking.

I like the poems you've put with each pic, especially the Childrens poem.

Looking forward to more of your pics.

Susan said...

Your beautiful photos are paired perfectly with the poetry. Just...wow.

LadyFi said...

Such vibrant colours and lovely quotes.

Dave said...

Hilary, you never fail to impress me with your ability to place appropriate poetry or words with your photos! I especially liked this Childrens' song: "Come said the wind to the leaves one day....." - Dave

Shrinky said...

Stunning colours, and such a beautiful place that you live in, you've captured it perfectly.

Anonymous said...

People are always so smitten with fall colors. I suppose it is the life cycle embedded in us that turns on the smiles and pleasures in knowing spring is on the way again. These are nice photos and the colors are wonderful.

Tom Bailey said...

I like the words you have shared they match perfectly to the photos this looks like you put some serious thought into it.

I like the single leaf photo the best. When I see photos like this it always reminds me of Walden and Emerson.

Deb Shucka said...

Stunning pictures perfectly captioned with such beautiful words. Thanks for a last look at this year's color.

Reb said...

Lovely as always. I love the single maple leaf hanging, waiting to be taken up by the wind.

Land of shimp said...

What beautiful pictures, Hilary. The colors are just so vivid. I think the beauty of autumn is particularly special to us because it is so fleeting.

On a completely different note, your entire post made me think of one of the sweetest stories a friend to me long, long ago.

She was caring for a friend who was, very sadly, in the last stages of AIDS, which is, of course, tragic. To try and ease his mind, and distract him, friends would gather and do things like read to him, as his sight had failed. As he became increasingly ill, his hearing began to fail also.

This led to the people doing the reading to understandably increase their volume. The last thing my friend told me about was this man's last laugh. As she sat there reading to him, as loudly as she could, he began to laugh, and when she asked him why, he told her that there was just something hilarious about a friend sitting by his bed, bellowing, "THE LEAF FALLS GENTLY, GENTLY TO THE GROUND!! "

And they share a wonderful last laugh together. He slipped in to a coma from which he never awoke within a few hours of that.

Pictures of Autumn almost always remind me of that story.

There's something even more beautiful about Fall to me because of that story. Just that that man had a last laugh, with a treasured friend as one of his last living memories.

It's strangely fitting to the entire concept of Autumn, isn't it?

imbeingheldhostage said...

I love autumn. I have never been more sad to see one go and like you have shot a lot more pictures than I remembered taking. Maybe it will get us through those tougher "Why is winter still here?" months.
Great pics, Hilary!

Jill from Killeny Glen said...

These images are breathtaking!
I SO, SO enjoyed each and every one!

Kerri Farley said...

Gorgeous! You have such a way with words and pics!

photowannabe said...

These are a smorgesbord of delightful colors. Hilary I think you have outdone yourself. Beautiful.
I love the statement, "the acoustics of the season".
Sue

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Oh, my. What beauty.

I'm wondering if you take photos of the snow. Have not attended a winter in the north for quite some time.

Hilary said...

• Gaelikaa, thanks. Very much appreciated. :)

• Maggie May. I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. :)

• Jane, thank you. I'm glad you dropped by to say so. :)

• Tabor, "cheating" or not, it's been a lovely season. I'm glad you're enjoying yours too. :)

• Thanks, Steviewren. As much as I complain about our winters and long, cold seasons, I wouldn't trade how dramatically they change for anything. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Suldog, thanks always for your incredibly kind words. Always very much appreciated. :)

• Gary, sometimes it sure seems that way. :)

• Scarlethue, I could live with 90F easily.. though I know most others could not. I'll take all the warmth I can get. Our fall has been semi-decent for that. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks, MPM. Much appreciated. :)

• Thank you, Daryl. It shouldn't be that different between here and there.. well maybe a little. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks, Clowncar. I'm glad you do. :)

• So true, Tricia. That's a keen observation. Thanks for stopping by. It's been a while. :)

• Thanks so much for the always kind words, Protege. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks kindly, Sandra. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks, Kate. Ours are pretty much gone now too but these are from a couple of weeks back. I'm glad you like them since I'll have some more to share tomorrow. :)

• Thanks very kindly, Dianne. I thoroughly agree with your tree sentiments. That leaf was still attached but so close to letting go. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much, Wendy. I'm glad you're enjoying my autumn photos and the quotes. I'll have a few more like that set to go for tomorrow. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks kindly, Susan. Much appreciated. :)

• Thank you, LadyFi. I'm glad you like them. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks very kindly, Dave. I'm so glad that you like them. There'll be a few more tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks so much, Shrinky. I'm pleased that you think so. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks kindly, Abe. Most of us are just happy to see change of some kind and the colours are always pleasing to the eye. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much, Tom. I do enjoy finding quotes for my photos. There'll be a some more coming up tomorrow so I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)

• Thank you, Deb. Make that a second to last look - more tomorrow. ;)

• Thanks, Reb. We've had plenty of wind since then. No doubt that leaf left shortly afterward. Thanks for dropping by. :)

• Thanks for the kind words, Shimp. Much appreciated. That's such a lovely and touching story about your friend and her own friend's last laugh. I think you should share that with your blog readers. It's touching and sweet. Thanks so much for sharing it. :)

• Thanks so kindly, IBHH. I did in fact take a lot of photos of this season as it was particularly lovely this year. In fact, I have a few more to come so I hope you'll enjoy those too. Thanks for stopping by with your always-kind words. :)

• Thanks so much, Jill. I'm so pleased that you stopped by to let me know. Thanks for that. :)

• Thanks kindly, Kerri. That's a fine compliment coming from one who does just that herself. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks very much, Sue. I'm glad you enjoyed them. A few more coming up. Thanks always for your very kind words. :)

• Thank you, MJ. I do indeed take snow photos. I'll have LOTS of those as we tend to have a very looooong winter. Don't rush it! ;) Thanks always for stopping by. :)

Nancy said...

You were able to capture the end days of autumn so beautifully. We now have a new blanket of snow. All remnants of fall are buried. But luckily I can come here and enjoy it one last time. :-)

Cloudia said...

I miss the scenes you show so beautifully!


Aloha, Friend!


Comfort Spiral

Merisi said...

Gorgious colors,
I can't wait to see your next collection!
Those reds are truly a world apart from the more subdued palette here. I dearly miss them.
So good to find John Bailey here too! :-)

Hilary said...

• Nancy, you're further into the season than we are. Our trees are indeed bare but our temperatures have been incredibly and most wonderfully pleasant through November. Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words. :)

• Thanks, Cloudia. I hope you enjoy them as you see them here. :)

• Thanks, Merisi. This autumn has been amazing colour-wise and temperature-wise. We've been very lucky and my camera has taken full advantage. I hope that by now you've seen the next group of photos. :)

Leah J. Utas said...

Beautiful. I want to walk down that footpath into the Fall.

ethelmaepotter! said...

Your well chosen verses are perfect with the photos. Quite the artist you are.

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Leah. I'll preserve it just like this until you get here. :)

• EthelMae, thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. :)

San said...

"A bluebird sort of day." Yes, those are to be treasured.

SandyCarlson said...

These are very, very beautiful. Thanks for this dose of fresh air. Badly needed!

Hilary said...

• Very true, San. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks kindly, Sandy. I'm glad you were able to breathe deeply and enjoy. Thanks for that. :)

Susan English Mason said...

No one matches up quotes with photos as well as you do.

Hilary said...

Thanks for the kind compliment, Susan. Much appreciated. :)