For weeks the unmistakable signs of approaching autumn have advertised the change in seasons, yet they coexist with vestiges of estival exuberance.
Still, butterflies drink deeply of the sweet nectar of friendly flowers whose vital force continues to pulsate.
Still, the sun warms the air and lights the days, though they are growing shorter. Birds wing southward to milder climes, and while one swallow does not a summer make, the absence of their multitudes signals summer’s end.
Barn swallows at the height of summer. Now they are gone.
The transformation of green foliage into hues of yellow, orange, and red, and of colorful blossoms into seed-bearing vessels is the most obvious harbinger of the earth’s ever-increasing distance from our solar orb. It is accompanied by a chill that rides on Aeolus’s wings, by leaves that tumble in his wake, and by the smell of composting vegetation on his breath.
It is a time of endings. The ending of vibrancy. The ending of the earth’s most productive period.
A time of wistfulness.
A time to reflect on goals unfinished.
A time of regrets.
It is also a time of beginnings. The beginning of dormancy. The beginning of the earth’s most conservative period.
A time of gratitude.
A time to celebrate accomplishments.
A time of hope.
Hope, that life will continue, that we will have another chance, that spring will once again spring.
Click here for the German version/klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version:
tanja britton 
Lovely shots and a time to hold on for the next spring!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cathy. It’s hard to let go, but good to know that for everything there is a season.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, Tanja, you are an artist both with pen and shutter. Autumn is our favorite time of year, but in Houston, we get no real ‘change’ of the season. Everything just goes from green to brown, hot to cool. My next home will have aspen or maple as a native for sure. Happy autumn!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy autumn to you, too, Shannon, even if it’s not as pronounced in TX. I am sure you enjoy the relief from the heat. You get more birds than we, though! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful pics!
I love the fall in Ann Arbor. Even though the transition has begun, I’m yet to see red. Now I’m waiting impatiently!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t be too impatient, Nirmala. I am sure the season will change and be over all too soon! 🙂 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fall used to be my favorite season…well it still is but I haven’t experienced it for several years as I left Sweden and four seasons. Beautiful pictures and colors!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. Maybe you will be able to spend another fall in Sweden, or in another location with a pronounced change in season.
I am sorry I did not respond earlier, but I was away from the computer for a while!
Best,
Tanja
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s good to hear the end of estival
For you brings on an autumn festival.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this lovely rhyme, Steve! 🙂
Best wishes for your autumnal festival, also.
Tanja
LikeLike
Your photos are lovely and so colorful, Tanja! I have always loved Fall and am ready & in need of change. Thank you for a wonderful post. P.S. Enjoyed the barn swallows too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Donna. This year I seem to be more aware of the changes around us than ever, and more appreciative of the colorful and warm days when we are blessed with them. I am trying to store all this beauty so it can sustain me through the darker times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sehr schöne Bilder und Impressionen ! Um die vielen Herbstfarben seid ihr zu beneiden ! Auf den ersten Bildern sind einige Blumen zu sehen, die ich auch auf dem Balkon habe 🙂 Die Kokarden beispielsweise – ich weiß gar nicht, ob sie nicht ursprünglich aus Amerika kommen ? – genauso wie die Prachtscharte und die Fetthenne. Alles so schön ! Die Cosmea sind meine absoluten Lieblingsblumen, aber da sie hier immer von Spinnmilben gefressen werden, habe ich es aufgegeben. Aber ich freue mich immer, wenn ich sie woanders zu sehen bekomme. Schöne Bilder 🙂 Und die gequetschten Schwalben sind niedlich ! LG, Almuth
LikeLiked by 1 person
Danke, liebe Almuth. Neben vielen deutschen Vogelnamen muss ich jetzt auch noch Pflanzennamen lernen, denn wie bei den Vögeln auch, kannte ich nur sehr wenige als ich aus Deutschland weg bin!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ja, das ist eine Herausforderung. Sie sich in der Muttersprache zu merken ist schon nicht so leicht, mit einer Fremdsprache könnte es verwirrend werden. Ich benutze manchmal die lateinischen Namen, weil ich denke, daß es dann einfacher ist, international danach zu suchen.
LikeLiked by 1 person