Change it is a coming

Of all the times of year late Summer and early Fall is the time which is engaging to all of the senses.  After the warmth and the humidity of Summer have passed the air possess a crispness that makes both the colors and the scents of the changing seasons more acute.

A casual stroll reveals the still vibrant colors of Astors making their final showing before the frosts of winter defeat their efforts.

The Chickory claims pride of place along the roadway and with its tough stalks even resists the last passes of the town's mowing machines.

Though the Queen Anne's lace isn't as regal as she was earlier in the season her head is still proudly held high.

Apple and pear trees in fields and along the roads are pregnant with their bounty.  They promise plenty for the coming months of cold if only their abundance would be gathered against the need.

The cornfields of late summer hold the greatest delight for the senses.  The mixtures of stalks in various stages of drying and the ripe ears hanging heavy are all a delight for the nose, skin, eyes, yes, and even the ears.

Just take a walk down between the rows and experience the gentle brush of the leaves on face and neck.  The accompanying shush and whisper creates a secret sense of solitude and oneness with the earth.

Just as the apples and pears are heavy with their offerings, the ears of corn are ripe with the promise of well fed cattle and cornmeal for the house in the snowy days that are sure to come.

Even the buckwheat with its delicate scent blends in with the subtle smells of dying plant life, falling leaves, newly plowed earth being made ready for the sowing of winter crops.

My favorite tree on the farm, this mighty maple, stands sentinel to the changes that are soon to blanket the earth.  But just as it has stood there since before I came here and will when I am gone, it promises that those changes are only temporary.