Glorious Days

Almost halfway through October and summer-warm and glorious in every way. The past month has been all one could ever ask of autumn. The colors of the leaves have glowed like pure yellow flame for weeks. Now they are falling fast; in some places only a beautiful mosaic on the ground is left. Still, there are patches where scarcely a leaf has fallen and the yellow shines against a sky of the kind of blue that only autumn brings. Yesterday, as I gazed at Nature’s beautiful gold and blue canvas a raven sailed across it, a jet-black accent to complete the picture. As wonderful as the sights are, the aromas are not to be outdone. As I walked this morning I was surrounded by the tang of slowly decaying balsam poplar leaves. It took me back to late spring when those same trees exude the scent of unrolling sticky leaf buds, different but just as wonderful as their scent in fall. Now, we live on borrowed time, knowing that winter lies in wait–but also knowing that nothing can take away what we have today.