The view from my open sun porch window, as I sip my morning coffee, brings a mixture of emotions to the forefront. The sadness that summer is coming to an end but also the excitement that a new season is beginning.
The rain is gently falling, leaving the back deck shiny as the water forms small rivulets between the boards. My garden is a palette of different shades of green, from the lightest of light to the darkest of dark. The plants that I had re-situated in the past weeks seem to be drinking in the moisture, preparing for the winter dormant stage. A stray cat stealthily treks across the grass, stopping for a quick glance over one shoulder before slinking under the fence into the neighbour’s yard. Perhaps he is looking for an open shed door to get out of the rain. The large maple overshadowing the garden has lost some of its leaves over night, as a prelude to the raking and mulching that lies ahead. The squirrels are busy dropping large chestnuts onto the metal garage roof with a resounding clang. I have already unearthed many of these from the hiding places beneath my hostas and buried in the lawn. It seems that our furry friends are also busy; they’re building their winter cache of food.
I return my gaze to the library book on my lap as a familiar smell wafts in through the open window. Ahhhhh the sweet smell of a wood burning stove. Yes, autumn is in the air.
Sunflower Girls 