We have now rolled around to October — the month of falling leaves, pumpkin patches, nippy cool mornings and trick or treaters. This may well be my favorite month of the year so I need to remember to take a few moments each day and just thoughtfully soak in the joy of the season and soak in the beauty.
Our trees are taking on some color. When I was a child, we often spoke of “Jack Frost” as the one who flittered around with his paint palette bringing us such a colorful season. I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone refer to Jack Frost, but I think he’s still out there, turning the leaves to orange, red, yellow and brown.
I have relatives in the California desert and each time they come to the Midwest for a visit, they always mention the trees. I’m always glad when they come in spring, summer or fall so they can truly see the magnificence of trees — not in winter when the trees seem to be little more than sticks pointed toward the sky.
After so much storm damage in this area with ice storms and tornadoes and violent winds, people are taking a different tack with their trees. More and more, trees are removed from around homes and overhead wires. That is certainly understandable because fallen trees really play havoc when they tumble down. But one of the many advantages of having trees around a home is the shade they provide in the heat of summer. Also, they can be something of a windbreak, but of course, in my opinion, the greatest thing about a tree is the simple beauty it gives. The sight of a beautiful tree or even a stand of trees is good for the soul.
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Later this month, I will be headed off to the northern most fringes of Michigan, literally on the Canadian border. Over the past couple of weeks I have been checking on temperatures up that way and it’s much cooler than here so I know by the time I get there, it’s likely to be downright cold. It’s going to take an extra bag to get in extra coats, scarves, gloves and long johns, but I’m really looking forward to my visit up that way. It has been several years since I was on the Upper Peninsula so it will be good to be there again.
