I passed a roofing place across the street from the phone company garage in a part of my hometown that was once farmland. That farmland surrendered to sprawl in my childhood. Sprawl often offers glimpses of strange taste. The perimeter of the roofing place's parking lot was marked by plastic palm tree trunks topped by (How to describe?) palm tree fronds fashioned from what seemed to be the discarded branches of artificial (green) Christmas trees. This was multicultural, interdisciplinary landscaping at its very worst. Such things are inexcusable without a miniature golf range in sight. Just plain wrong. But there it was in my little town.
I was not overcome by sentiment as I sped by and planned my next trip into the woods, where I would encounter these leaves and imagine them soon shivering under the weight and cold of the first New England snow. How I love walking in the woods after that first snow. Always, these leaves glow like beacons. There is a strange and peaceful silence that feels like a soft invitation into pure peace. The leaves that will not fall until spring comes say, "Spring comes." And it is lovely.
Wordless Wednesday
27 Comments
there is such a contrast between natural beauty and man's attempts to sprawl...
ReplyDeleteLike the way the light reflects off the brown leaves and highlights the edges.
ReplyDeleteThat description of the landscaping at the roofing place sounds rather surreal...
So true. I find beauty hidden in every season, even in late fall melancholy.
ReplyDeleteLovey shot.;)
xoxo
I agree with Zuzanna. And I enjoy the beauty of winter, even though some hate it.
ReplyDeleteNice capture!
Dear Sandy!!!
ReplyDeleteI adored your comment about facebook..I felt that ONLY I thought at that way. I dont use the website...to no more than post my posts....But I noticed the crazy life there after a friend of mine who lives in Germany WRITES some subjects there. She created a group about PHOTO STUDIO and many people there said to her: YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT PHOTOGRAPHER. YOUR PHOTOS ARE VERY VERY GOOD.GOOD LUCK TO U.
Sandy, I did not believe why she was certain that her photos were very good. And weren´t. She needed to study more and a day, she asked me: WHAT DO U THINK , GRACE?DO U FEEL THAT MY PICTURES ARE VERY VERY GOOD?
And I said: HONESTLY SAYING U CAN BE BETTER!BUT PLEASE...DONT STOP TO STUDY THINKING ABOUT THE COMMENTS. THOSE PEOPLES ARENT YOUR FRIENDS. THEY ARE LAUGHING OF U.
After that, Sandy, she closed her website and blog and abandoned Facebook. She was depressive why her clients in Germany were dissappointed.
Now, she is meeting a therapeut.
That´s the face of Facebook to who hasnt control about the life.
Sandy! your shot lets me think about the life...now, in Sweden, are a little bit sad with the climate but...this afternoon, all the trees will be covered by the snow.
Have a nice day
Grace Olsson
graceolsson.com/blog
farmland disappears from everywhere. I just wonder where will we eat from soon...
ReplyDeleteTerrific capture of light through the dry leaves. Good shot.
ReplyDeletewhere I would encounter these leaves and imagine them soon shivering under the weight and cold of the first New England snow. >> my kind of wander.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a hard time getting the painful view of the palm trees out of my imagination.
ReplyDeleteA lovely first snow will surely do it though. There is NOTHING like the peace of that morning.
Almost nothing can compare to the beauty of the first snow fall! It always takes my breath away.
ReplyDeleteLovely photo!
Hugs
SueAnn
I would love to come upon you one day, both of us out there walking, wide eyed, quieted.
ReplyDeleteand the strangeness of the sprawl. I hear you.
light.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this, Sandy. Thank goodness for woodland walks to restore our sanity!
ReplyDeleteI'm all chilled out now. I'm always up for a walk in the woods.
ReplyDeleteBeaitfil pic. I don't like the pic you painted with your words, all in the name of progresss
ReplyDeleteI'll not forget the beautiful home I was working in had a new pool installed. For decoration they had several huge FAKE palm trees. Coconuts and all. I was agast.
ReplyDeleteThe woods always calms and inspires me. The beech (?) trees always look like ghosts of summer standing there in their fall finery all winter.
I can see beauty in all the seasons, just sometimes have to look a little harder. But very little that man creates can compete with nature in beauty, peace and inspiration. Lovely post as always, Sandy! Hope your week is going well. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
I suppose that is why I go on my walks. . . to see nature at its best.
ReplyDeleteSandy, this was not really wordless - and I'm so glad. Your words are always so well woven. Glad you have the woods to comfort your grief over the changes in your little town.
ReplyDeleteNature certainly can't be beat when it comes to beauty. I like your picture.
ReplyDeleteWhat a contrast! I so agree with you about the beauty to be found in the last clinging leaves of autumn. They're like a promissory note.
ReplyDeleteThe light certainly makes this shot Sandy.
ReplyDeleteAnd the beauty and wonder of winter to enjoy, in between. They are waiting, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image!
ReplyDeleteLovely, indeed. It would be so hard not to see the abounding beauty this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI could hear the crunching of the dried leaves with every step ringing in my memory of time gone by.. what seems like eons ago.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written, Sandy
Blessings
My son came home and said the top of our hill has 2 inches of fresh snow and at the bottom of my hill we have nothing.
ReplyDeleteWe are just locked away down here. This is why, when we are told snow is coming, we park up the hill because otherwise we will never get the car up.
BC is full of houses built on hills and some of them are very steep going down. Every time I think I shudder.
How are cars supposed to stop?
It is so chilly fresh outside and my cat hasn't come home.
Now I will be thinking about her all night shivering somewhere but this is how she likes it. She comes home when she gets hungry.
Thanks for being here.