Does this photo from a September post look familiar? The light was just right that morning, the foliage in our back yard at the peak of luxuriance.
My, the difference two months makes:
Shorter days, cooler temperatures, wind and rain have taken their toll, stripping aged, brown leaves from their stems.
The houses that were hidden from view all summer are now exposed.
In a few weeks when all the leaves are gone, we’ll be able to see the faraway turrets of “the castle” above the trees. Visions of fairy tale kingdoms dance in my head.
(Believe it or not, that’s actually a water tower.)
Some vegetation is still in full fall display,
While other foliage looks pitifully bedraggled.
A continual leaf-shower creates a crunchy carpet for the deck…
(Steve just swept two days ago.)
…and clutters the planters.
This is the price we pay for those glorious weeks of riotous color in October.
Now comes the season of quiet dormancy.
After such glory, the crumbling decay of leaf and flower seems tragically sad until we remember…
…the world will come to life again with ethereal beauty,
and we’ll revel in the euphoria of spring.
As winter strips the leaves from around us
So that we may see the distant regions
They merely concealed,
So old age takes away our enjoyments
Only to enlarge the prospect
Of the coming of eternity.
–Jean Paul, author (1763-1825)
The first four lines sound tragically sad, don’t they, until we remember the euphoria of what is to come, and the prospect of ethereal Beauty in the kingdom of eternity.
“Your eyes will see the King in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar” (Isaiah 33:17).
Even when times are dismal, cold, and gray…
…glorious HOPE is ours!
(Photo credits–Fall foliage and Mount Airy Water Tower: www.pinterest.com. Red bud in spring: www.etsy.com. All others photos: Nancy Ruegg.
From the Inside Out 
Enjoyed the contrast and it was beautiful. Just as we know as we age and sometimes need to endure. We have the assurance eternity is beautiful.Thanks to our awesome God who supplies all of our needs always!
Love and Blessings, Janet
Amen, Janet: We do worship an awesome God who supplies all our needs–now and always into eternity. Too wonderful for words!
Inspiring as always.
Thank you, Grace, for continuing to be a loyal follower. Delighted you found this post to be inspiring. Praise God!
I have a love/hate relationship with fall! I love the few short weeks of wonderful color…but then the leaves come down…down…down… and I’m off to the races getting them off of the ground before the first snowfall. My Mom insists on helping and blows the leaves away from her house. This year I tried to ’embrace’ the season instead of dreading it. And the Lord stepped in by providing us with a wonderful neighbor who has helped us twice! That aside, this post was so great. Each image was beautiful in its own right; even the leaves on the deck!
I’m so glad you received help this year–an answer to my prayer that God take care of you as you take care of your parents. And thank you for your observation that even the leaves on the deck are beautiful. I had to look at that photo again, this time through your eyes! I suppose there is beauty in the shapes of the leaves, the graceful curl of some, and even in their color: CHOCOLATE brown! 🙂
Nancy, I’m so tickled that you were inspired to go outside and listen and look for our glorious God.
The poetry lines were beautiful. Thank you for this glimpse of beauty and truth.
“Now comes the season of quiet dormancy.” not my favorite season either yet holds lessons and adventures for us. Learning to rest, to be fallow, to reset so we can give, growth and go again. Lovely photos as usual too. Thanks Nancy
“Quiet dormancy…holds lessons and adventures for us.” Love that idea, Jean! Creates an attitude of expectation for this time of year instead of dread!