On Autumn Masterpieces

Autumn is
An artist who uses
An oak leaf on which
To paint a masterpiece.
~William Allen Ward

In many parts of the country, it's just about time for the magic of autumn. The landscape will be painted in fiery, warm colors: first on the trees, and then downward to the ground as the leaves begin to fall.

Ironically, I grew up not loving autumn. To me, the season meant blisters from endless raking, and was simply a reminder of the bleakness of winter which was to follow.

Then I moved to New Hampshire - where I had an epiphany. You can't witness autumn in New England and not be moved by the splendor of the spectacle. It took my breath away every single year I was fortunate enough to live there....and it still does. Even though I'm now based some 2,500 miles away, I wouldn't miss a New England autumn. It is a great joy to photograph the beauty of the season there. It is home to me, just as much as is Illinois, where I was born and raised.

Yes, autumn is fleeting. Yes, cleaning up all those leaves is a big job. And yes, winter will approach quickly. But first, I get to experience some of the most wonderful scenes nature has to offer. A masterpiece, indeed.

(P.S. With all due respect to oak leaves, one of which is pictured above, it's the maples of New England which I carry in my heart.)