-
The trees of green, orange and red that line my drive to work thirty minutes each way five days a week, as well as the sumptuous light that rises behind the green barn each morning, have filled my sight with eye candy. Filled up past capacity, over-saturated. All that bending of apple boughs, swelling of gourds, plumping of hazel shells, angled light brimming over, clouds blooming, and twittering swallows that Keats wrote of in his Ode, frankly have me gasping for the bare bones of winter. Don't show me one more beautiful leaf on your blog, I beg you -- I'll explode!
I try to live in the moment, but I'm longing for less opulent ones. I covet the next season, looking over the fence toward not greener grass, but whiter. I can't take any more of this beauty I tell you. Even this shiny Beetle I saw two weeks ago the same day I stopped to take pictures of a patch heavy with pumpkins as far as the eye could see maxed me out with its allurements. Do I want to hop in and ramble down Route 66 on a two week road trip? Not really. I'm riched out!
I want smooth flat crispy snow fields with a spike or two of corn. I want bare black trees lining them. I want to come home and after supper I want the glowing family room window pulling me back to the house from the corncrib with an armful of firewood.
Come here wind, blow away all this color. I want to go inside and hibernate.
-
-
69 comments:
it snowed yesterday and I was devastated. just had to order oil @ $2.54 per gal. ugh.
Ha! Ruthie, you're bringing winter down upon us with your curses! lol!
I agree that there has been an overabundance of color richness lately, but it's never too much for me. I dread the coming of the "old man" and as soon as he gets here I will be longing for the green of spring.
I just did a post about an orange Beetle on the photo blog a couple of weeks ago. Quinky-dink? Not with us!
http://lensustogether.blogspot.com/2009/09/classic-orange.html
I'm still quite happily inebriated with the oppulence and exuberance of Fall. "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful"...
Not me. I don't like to be cold. I appreciate the beauty of a snow covered landscape when it is a novelty but every day for months on end? UGH.
We'll just have to disagree on this point. I love the autumn but not that season that comes after it. At least this winter if the weather is bad I can work from home. Yeah for being "Global"
I love that bug! The new ones just aren't the same! And orange to boot!
Humph! I am melancholy in fall BECAUSE winter comes after it. I really resent having to bundle up to leave the house... Although there is definitely an austere beauty in winter...
Tippy-toeing in to say: yes.
Short days. Long darkness. Fog. Drizzle. The smell of rotting vegetation. An absence of birds, replaced by a resonant silence.
The sun finally hidden behind a merciful blanket of gray.
The earth herself needs a rest.
The fall colors have been less than optimal this year, but frankly, I'm feeling the same way as you about experience itself. With visits from siblings and crazy priests and WAY too many activities, it's the world itself that makes me feel full-to-bursting as you describe. In fact, I'm glad we've had five days of fog, because it helps to make the external world a little more manageable.
With the pleasures of working at my home, I actually look forward to some of those snowy, stay-indoors-all-day and don't get dressed up because it stops me from wondering if I should go do a 9-5 and I end up appreciating that I can work at home.
Ruth, I'm with you! Voluptuousness is overstimulating at times, like filling yourself up with so much rich,sumptuous food, and then appreciating the bare simplicity of an apple. I live in a part of the world that is stunningly beautiful but the vast, almost monochromatic beauty of the Canadian prairies is just as appealing sometimes.
I love winter's snowy days and nice cozy seats by the fire...but it will be here soon enough so I will continue to feast on this overly beautiful time of year with no reqrets...
Love that orange VW!
Loopy Ruthie! No snow I say, stay away, stay away!
There, I've over rode your chant for snow! hehehe!!!
Autumn Rose would love that VW Beetle, in her favorite color of FALL!
Don't worry, snow will be here soon enough:)
Oh,I could never become oversaturated with the colors of fall--largely because they have been slow to arrive here. I so love Keats's Ode, thank you for sneaking it in.
The trees will show us their bones soon enough; for now, I will take every yellow, every orange, every coral, crimson, and sliver of green, to store up against the monochrome before the snow. (which has its beauties too, only differently). Love that pumpkin VW!
I love the golden light of fall, the colours in the trees and the smell of the soil being turned after the harvest. I love autumn and I don't want it to end. The snow will bring cold temperatures both outside and inside (Japanese houses have no insulation.)
btw, I gave you more info about the nanowrimo on my blog :D
Gentle Ruth ...
To each his/her own ...
but ...
And said in the most most gentlest of tones ... actually a slight whisper ... spoken like a loving sister ...
Are you crazy?
... Or as I think of it ... Perhaps the nest is feeling particularly empty?
Either way, I hope you find a beauty that captures your fancy and lifts your spirits.
An overabundance?? Where, pray tell? Riched out? Pshaw.
We are still waiting... and we are getting frost.
I never, ever, wish for snow until I am sick of the dull brown and greyness of winter.
Wow...lucky you...an overdose of beauty !
Any way it comes even if you don't ask for it. Better welcome it and prepare for IT Ruth. And it costs to live through winter, some thing i cannot afford. i wonder what i would do.
This is a movie scene Ruth, if it was a movie, this would definitely be my favourite scene, only thing i m missing is a blue Indian train in the background. This is what the human eye sees, a bit more than what the camera sees, but human eye cannot dramatise, the camera can. i would have asked you to take my picture leaning on the orange Beetle.
Lovely photo of the bug...but remember, be careful what you wish for!
I love all four seasons equally. I especially like a crisp, frosty winter. Preferably with snow :)
I used to own a red VW Beetle back in the 70's. I loved it.
Ruth,
What a poetic and eloquent post! Love the visual imagery you've conveyed. And... uh... snow fields? Are you sure? You'll be gratified in no time. If Autumn comes, can winter be far behind?
And, If you're a fan of Keats, watch for the movie 'Bright Star', about his short romance with his muse Fanny Brawne, who had inspired him to write several of his Odes.
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for sharing the poetry and the pictures!Though,I shudder at the thought of winter and cold days...
Don't worry, a hard winter is coming. Ski stations are already open in Lapland.
Most of our flowers were frozen this night.
Cranes are flying southwards.
A video on youtube with winter was hard by Kronos Quartet and Aulis Sallinen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ToycgrhdQs
California Girl, ouch. We have propane and do a monthly payment plan too. I can't remember what we locked in this year for price, hmm, now you have me wondering. Winter is costly, it's true.
Susie! How about that, an orange beetle was your orange post, thanks for telling me, it is a beaut, and synchronicitous as always. :)
I knew when I posted this blasphemous post that few, if any, would agree with me. I think it is my deep seeded laziness to sit inside and stare out a window that starts this love of winter.
Claudia, I think sometimes having a camera always with me becomes a pressure. When I look around I think, "I should be taking a picture of that." I hear the trees saying "photograph us." But I don't think they're really saying that. It's all in my head. In the winter I don't feel that pressure, but I do love photographing in that season too.
Ellen, I too feel the cold, more so as I age.
I confess to you I have never tired of months on end of the visuals of winter. But I have tired of cold fingers. I nearly got frostbite as a child and now my fingers get cold very quickly, even just walking to the car in the garage.
I understand, NJ, I am in a small minority on this.
I learned to drive a stick shift in a little VW like this one, only it was that original slate gray. Wiki says the original name for this car was Käfer, the German word for "beetle."
Hi, Bug, I know this bugs you, it bugs a lot of people. It bugs me, because I just want to enjoy the beauty and the moment. I feel like I have just eaten a platter of too much food. I am uncomfortable.
Ahhhh, Linda, at last, a kindred spirit, a lover of winter. And you in Texas.
When we moved to the farm six years ago in November, I relished the bare land and received it more easily I think than if it had been spring, summer or autumn. I fell in love with this place in August, but we moved in November, and I needed to get acquainted through a long, still winter.
Loring, that is precisely what I feel, both literally and figuratively. This post was really about the visuals of autumn, and also a metaphor for not knowing how to manage the stimuli, information, the rhythm that civilization is forcing on us. I have long thought the pace we as a culture live is not in line with our human nature. I'm not sure what to do about it, except try to take one moment at a time. I know my attitude for wanting the next thing is not the right answer. But maybe I can find a way to winterize my sight and daily intake. Thank you.
Aren't we humans secretly drawn to rhythm...
Many of us don't realize it; but you do Ruth.. You are aware of what makes you satisfied... and not afraid to say...
Lovely writing...
I grinned when I read this, because I would give anything to "freeze" this color for the next few months, till the leaves could drop in March to make way for new buds in April! I does dazzle, and I need a little dazzle these days!
You are so funny. You better not visit my blog. We just returned from New England. GADS! I have tons of photos. Ha!
I have to tell you, though, I love winter and the bleak starkness of its beauty. I think too many people overlook its more subtle beauty. So your point is well taken.
I love the bursts of color - it just makes me so happy. I know what you mean - it is just sensory overload!
M - amuse me, I can see that you would enjoy that. Yes, the light in winter coming in the windows is so clear and wonderful.
I am afraid if I worked at home I would be distracted by the house work that needs doing. That and blogs and Facebook.
Deborah, oh thank you for that. I don't mind if everyone else disagrees with me, really I don't. But it is sweet when someone does agree. And in Provence of all places! I feel especially gratified that you agree.
You are wiser than I am, Oliag. I do not think it is good to wish for what is not here yet. But I can't help it.
I wonder what year this VW is.
Yes yes, witchy Anet! You must counteract my blasphemous incantation. Autumn is gorgeous, October is splendid. I love it, love it. I think I am just overwhelmed with Life.
I understand, DS, really I do.
We had a neighbor named Ruth Harrison back in the early '90s, she herself was in her nineties too, but so wonderfully beautifully youthful - rather age perfect - I want to be just like her when I am in the winter of my life. Anyway, I remember her saying in her straightforward simple way how she preferred the bare trees to leafed ones. I was in my thirties, and while I admired her and sort of understood her aesthetic, I didn't agree a bit. So something has shifted for me. Maybe my wish is coming true and I am becoming a different Ruth.
Kanmuri, I know. Autumn is so beautiful. I don't know why this is happening to me this year. I haven't been conscious of it before now.
I looked for the nanowrimo and didn't find it. If you come back, please give me a link. Thank you.
Haha, CottageGirl, I laughed at your sweet comment. I appreciate you being gentle with me. I know I am out of my mind and loony.
Hmm, I don't know about the empty nest. I wonder if it is about the busy summer we had, all that decorating and focusing on visuals. I dunno.
Another thought -- ready for muted colors? Cruise by the water garden on the east side of the MRI building near the clinical center (it's behind the building). Lots of muted fall tones there! The quiet side of fall!
i understand your over-saturation, i really do! nyc has it in spades, and i often yearn for the lush green that you get to see everyday. let's just switch places for a little while, and we'll both be happy! :)
beautiful photo.
ps - i love your banner!
I may not agree with you, but this is beautifully written. Smile.
Here we still do not have the Fall yet. I saw a large tree today that I wanted to take a pic off then realized it was still completely green. I could not find one tree next to the lake were we went with golden leaves and I miss that – where is the Fall? When will we get it? I am afraid I’ll be gone before it is here (am going to France next week) but I hope it will still be here when I come back in mid-November.
Violetski - you don't wish for snow? I wonder if you did as a girl.
Ha, Sidney, c'est vrai.
Congratulations to you and your Best Foreign Blog of the Philippines!!
rauf, the Beetle and winter do not go well together. It is fine in Chennai where it is hot. If you were a driver, I would picture you in a Beetle. Perfect.
It makes me happy that a car created for the people is so cute. It captured the imagination of so many young people in the U.S. in the sixties. My brother Nelson and his wife Peggy got one of these in 1965 and brought it to our house in Grand Ledge. It was a very big deal. I went for a ride in the little space behind the back seat - just right for me at age 8. But for Nelson it wasn't a hippie car as it was for many others. Nelson was practical. Sadly, but fortunately, later when they lived in Boston Peggy got into an accident in the Beetle when she was trying to get a bee out of the car. Thankfully she was fine, since Beetles don't have much protection.
Patricia, I know. I hesitated, almost didn't post this. Then I relaxed into accepting what is: I am ready for winter.
Babs, somehow, I knew you would be a Beetle kind of lady. ;-)
So sorry and sad about Sindie. xoxo.
Oh Ruth, you're so funny, in a wistful kind of way. I would say come visit Alaska, since you are longing for snow, but we haven't gotten any yet! I, for one can't get enough of the elongateed Fall we have received as a yellow-and-orange-wrapped gift, but your point is well taken. What I like about the Winter (on the days it's above zero)is the quiet of it all. I'll miss it (a bit) when we move from here! :)
PS So glad to be back in your universe!
:)V
Hi, Arti! We drove up to our family cottage yesterday for a work day, and the scenery was beautiful. I did not mind the autumn yesterday. :)
Thank you for the film recommendation. I'll put it on my Netflix queue. I wonder if you'll be reviewing it?
Arti, I saved "Bright Star" - since it's not available yet on DVD.
Jo, welcome to synch-ro-ni-zing. I wish it could have been a warmer welcome. ;-)
You have a lovely, lovely blog, and I am very happy for you and the child growing inside. So amazing.
Daniel, bonjour. I love winter, and I don't even ski.
Your cranes are beautiful. I've seen them too, and a lot of geese.
The video link led me to a lovely group of images of industrial things, and beautiful music. Was it a different one you meant perhaps?
Gwen, your spirit is always so generous.
You are in a remarkable setting for Nature's rhythm there on the Bay of Fundy. I wonder how it affects you, humanly, that changing of tides. I know the fog has been heavy and that must affect your outlook, I mean in an inner way, not just the view. :)
Jeanie, I do understand.
We drove up to Six Lakes yesterday, and it was a gorgeous day, the light was amazing and clouds dramatic. I enjoyed it immensely. :)
Bella, thank you for that warning, but I survived your post, and I even loved it. Such beauty in that forest, in Bar Harbor, and the covered bridge! Wow.
My brother Bennett, who passed away in 1996, used to drive tour buses through New England on color tours in the fall, mostly senior citizens. He absolutely loved New England, and people, and seniors, and the photographic possibilities of all of that.
Now New England in the winter . . . that is something to behold.
That's all it is, Nancy, sensory overload. I still love the autumn.
Ok, Jeanie, I'll get my MSU map out . . .
Wesrey! Ok, let's switch places.
Wait, I only want to go to NY if you're there!
I'm glad you like my Halloween banner.
Pat, I'll accept that.
smile.
Vagabonde, the plants and trees are all delayed here too, by maybe 2 weeks. The cool spring and summer slowed everything down. Morning glories blossomed much later than last year. We didn't have any drought, so everything is still fresh and lush here too. We noted on our drive yesterday that many maples are still green. This is unheard of.
I would hate to leave Atlanta in the fall, just when the heat has let up and it is tolerable to go outside and enjoy the gorgeous rural landscapes. But I also do not feel too sorry for you having to go to France. :|
Oh hi, VaNeSsA, welcome back to my universe!
Yes, I think if I lived in Alaska I might want even summer to stay for more than a minute. I understand.
I did enjoy our long drive yesterday, the sunlight, clouds and colors were extraordinary. I did not mind at all.
Blasphemy indeed! This post tells me that you must have the coziest house on the planet.
We in California are always laggards when it comes to autumn and then only precious few trees give the opulent show you describe. For me, bring it on!
Ha, well, Dutchbaby, that could be part of it, the cozy house. I don't know. I think it's that I'm a starer out of windows first and foremost.
Post a Comment