The Fall Brings Out the Best in Us

As the fall foliage season begins to wane in New England, I take in the vestiges of its mystique, feeling grateful to be able to enjoy it. This weekend, I was even more fortunate to come to a family wedding up in the Catskills, where the foliage season is in full bloom.

Heading toward New Paltz, my family and I pulled the car over and I jumped out with my phone camera to try to capture some of the beauty surrounding us.

We made it to New Paltz as the morning mist began to rise and dissipate - a stage curtain slowly unveiling a fall foliage spectacular.

When we give it our full attention, the fall brings out the best in us and fill us with the wonder and euphoria of being in love.

Red in Nature Calls to Us

 

Today I hiked a bit of the Nashua River Trail in Groton and Pepperell, and my eyes were drawn to the blazing red leaves.

The red color on the trees, I learned, is a special pigment call "anthocyanin" that trees in North America started producing millions of years ago to protect themselves from cold snaps, extreme sunlight and insect predators.

Whenever I spotted red it kept me there transfixed and awestruck, giving me its best performance ever and standing out among all the other colors of fall.

Whether up close or off in the distance, red came to the foreground and could not be ignored.

Whenever we are fearless and authentic, we too can be like the color red in nature - resilient and inspiring. 

Life Presents Us with Peaceful Perspectives

Today I visited Walden Pond after a two-year hiatus. Observing the pond at different angles, each instance presented me with a new painting. Here, the Crystalline Foliage Scene. 

Here, Three to See Clearly Through.

Here, Rippled Fall Reflections.

Here, Autumnal Archway.

And here, October Oak. Life is exhilarating when seen anew through the peaceful perspectives of existence.