Arising in darkness, we were not to be graced with sunrise and departed for Clifton Park in a soggy mist on Tuesday.
Deprived of a pretty dawn, we nevertheless enjoyed yet another variation of our constantly changing scenery.
And I sensed there had been a shift, overnight.
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It wasn’t the drop in temperature which was noticeable but hardly drastic.
Certainly, heavy mist changes the view, but that had nothing to do with it.
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(The black squiggle here is a crow )
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We’ve been travelling these roads now for 5 years, in all seasons and all weather.
Rotating crops change the scene.
This hill used to be wooded.
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Nature changes constantly, of course.
Living in suburbia as I did for most of my life, you scarcely notice Nature. One Winter harsh, one Summer wet, etc.
Where I lived on Long Island in the early ’60’s, there was quite a bit of farmland and I shall never forget the dogwoods in Spring. I have never seen the like of those trees anywhere else.
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Dogwood is exquisite.
(Photos from pixabay)
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It’s nice to know that even in my suburban days I was aware enough to notice those beautiful trees.
They are a work of art.
How easily old memories distract you.
Meanwhile, last Tuesday…
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Suddenly I realised what had shifted.
At the end of August we usually see the very early signs of Fall, but never this in your face or sudden.
August has always been one of the hottest months here. Trees begin to look dried out and tired. At the end of the month, you see the first tinges of colour.
This August has been delightful with none of the oppressive heat we had briefly in April which was also most unusual.
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Perhaps the heavy overcast and humidity caused the corn to appear so orange?
No, that tree has not shed its leaves.
It is deceased.
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Perhaps it follows that one who regularly sees faces in clouds and all manner of shapes in the bathroom tiles or water drops in the sink, should have trouble sometimes working out just what they are actually seeing.
As we drove up toward this vision I could not decide what it was.
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Utilities workers are like driller ants.
They cut their way through anything that impedes their passage.
Is half a tree better than no tree?
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Once they are installed, power lines becomes trellises for invasive creepers.
To pull these creepers down is easy enough, but no-one ever seems to.
Once in this sort of tangle it’s an undertaking to remove them.
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Here comes another memory:
“Not my job!”
A regular cry from a union worker.
I was a union employee myself, but there were times….
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The guys/gals who put up these poles must have celebrated such a straightforward job!
We had picked up a follower on our way home. When sightseeing, the driver likes to dawdle. So he turned a corner intending to do a U turn and get behind the other vehicle.
But decided to keep going instead.
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Unknown territory.
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It was still very misty but the gloom highlighted the wildflowers and naked tree trunks.
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We were still meandering about when we came upon a gaggle hanging out on a corner:
They honked at us!
It seemed we were in a smart neigbourhood.
Maybe the cats could have one wing and us the rest.
(Over the garage probably.)
No, it would never do.
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Even when the leaves begin to turn, I don’t necessarily feel Autumn.
The fields are so green and it’s only the middle of August.
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But I do feel I may have to revise my earlier prediction for September.
Having said recently that I expected hot weather to continue through September…
perhaps not.
Recently I saw a report that suggested we will get snow in October.
Then again, anything can happen.
It’s fun when you aren’t pressed for time to find yourself lost.
(How can you be lost and found?)
We had started out so early, we weren’t even close to being late for cat lunch!
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Then we came upon a familiar vineyard.
Not long after, we were home and I sat down to write about our foggy morning.
But after signing in to WP for the 12th time, fatigue hit me like a tsunami.
If I use Firefox I can edit. If I use Google I stay signed in.
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So I collapsed on my bed.
Willow is not a lap cat or a cuddler.
But when she sees me lie down during the day she does this.
Mysterious, complicated, most beloved Willow.
The way things are going this year I fully expect armageddon before the year end. Been nice knowing you!
I love your misty views! When I saw your tree with the first autumn leaves, I thought I couldn’t wait to see autumn in your part of the world! I hope you feel better (or rested) after your afternoon nap and hopefully a good night’s sleep.
That’s a lot of mist! We are still waiting for summer, and I have noticed leaves beginning to fall from our two Oak trees over the past two weeks.
Lie you, I only started to notice the changes in the countryside when I moved away from the city. 60 years in London, it was either too hot, too rainy, or just right. Up here, the changes are subtle, more nuanced, and I recognise them as if I have been a countryside man all my life.
Best wishes, Pete.