Glimmers of golden sunshine slice through the woods, splashing stripes of light onto the lawn. Beyond the trees the marsh will be aglow with sparkles tipping the ripples made by a dozen Mallards, glossy green and mottled brown, feeding in the grasses and reeds.
I heard the geese earlier. We have two pair that nest in the marsh each spring… one has made a nest directly on top of the beaver house and returns to it every year. I don’t know what the beaver think of that, but the geese apparently believe it’s the safest nursery in the neighbourhood.
When fall temperatures dip, some geese migrate south in their aerodynamic V-formations, but many Lower Mainland flocks simply relocate and settle into local parks and grasslands for the winter. The honking heralds preparations for an early departure, confirming my fear that our season of summer is truly over.
I’m melancholic. It’s temporary because I love fall. I’m just not quite ready to let go of summer.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity…. [Ecclesiastes 3:1]
As summer transitions into fall, how is your mood affected?
MUSINGS 
Love your descriptions! And what fun that the beavers let the geese nest there. Isn’t there a Bible verse that says, “The geese will lie down with the beavers”? NO? Oh, well.
I like fall, but hate to give Summer a bye.
Have a great weekend,
Jen
LOL! I don’t think we’ll find that verse anywhere, Jen, but I like the thought.
I love that image of geese nesting on a beaver lodge!!
The smell of fall in the air really awakens me. For a few years I did a lot of backpacking in the fall and I think I associate it with a call to adventure! Still, it’s hard to see summer on the wane.
It’s a strange place for a nest, that’s for sure! The fall is a wonderful time to be out on the trails. My husband always comments that the smell of burning leaves is a distinct autumn fragrance, even though it’s usually only city folk that burn them. (They make such a good mulch!)
Beautifully written and presented as usual, Carol. I love Fall too, but I always seem to greet it with a cold. Hmm. What’s that about, I wonder. Here’s hoping the snow doesn’t fall until late November.
I came home from our cabin with a cold at the beginning of the month and it’s only now dwindled to just a cough. It better not be around when fall arrives! Summer colds seem hard to shake.
And I’m with you on the arrival of snow. The guys like it for hunting season but down here at the coast I’d be happy if we didn’t get any this winter!
You know me–I cling desperately to the last shreds of summer until the first frost wrenches it from my fingers. Flip-flops well into October… that kind of thing. I think that might be called DENIAL. However, when I finally do make the transition to fall, I adore crisp mornings and colourful leaves. A walk through the forest in autumn is just as relaxing and inspiring as a walk on the beach in summer. There is beauty everywhere, and always.
Beautifully said! But will we still be able to agree on that when winter’s wind and rain arrive? 😉
Beautiful description. I could close my eyes and be there.
Thank you, Judith. It was a lovely evening.
This is the roughest seasonal transition all year for me. I love hot weather, and the darkness and cold of autumn are depressing. Then everything dies, but not before the most vicious allergy attacks of the year (fall hay fever). So I spent fall mostly shivering and sneezing.
Winter is peaceful, with the possibility of snow.
Spring is blooming, with light increasing every day.
Summer is warm and slow-paced.
But fall is just to be endured.
Drat those allergies! Several family members have them, although the hay fever ones tend to be spring and summer related. Not nice at all, so you have my sympathy.
I love the fall. I feel more energetic and enjoy being outdoors in the cool weather. The myriad of colors is awesome, and I like watching the birds flying over on their way south. I’m not looking forward to the gloom of winter, but I’ll not miss summer at all.
I definitely don’t like summer’s heat but I’m always sorry to see the end of all my flowers. The coloured leaves of fall are lovely but I miss the roses and hydrangea, the mounds of hardy geraniums and tubs of annuals. Fortunately there are a number of evergreen shrubs with berries to brighten the winter garden. But I miss my flowers!!
I’d pay $$$ to see temps dip into the 80s for just a few days. I can deal with the heat (better than cold) but despise the ‘short’ days & driving through rush hour in the dark. Seems like an unfair trade off for the cooler temps.
The longer summer days don’t seem to last very long, do they? We return to Standard time in six weeks but that doesn’t give us any more daylight hours, just shifts it from one end of the day to the other.
Does anyone not like fall? I really think it’s my favourite season. It’s always been a busy time in my neck of the woods. I love crisp autumn mornings!
I have an elderly neighbour who says she hates fall, but I know it’s because it means winter is coming and she dreads winter. She lives rurally and can’t drive at night or in snowy weather so feels housebound much of the winter. If I felt like that I think I’d want to move south to a warmer climate.
I like autumn’s freshness. It’s the accompanying busyness and schedules that temper my enthusiasm. That’s why I hate to see the end of summer.
Summer always ends too fast. It takes me a while to transition, but then I love it while I try to build up a positive attitude toward winter. 🙂
I loved this piece.
Thanks, Sandra. For everything there is a season… and it seems like we’re always looking ahead to the coming one, doesn’t it? I suppose the severity of any season (too much heat, cold, rain, snow) depends on where you live, but here winter is mostly rain with perhaps a week or two of cold and snow (except for a couple years recently when we had snow on the ground for two and three months). Sometimes it can be a little wearing on one’s positive attitude.