after the storm

after the storm
Welcome autumn!

Monday, October 4, 2010

hope ahead...


When our children were small, we often read “Frederick” by Leo Lionni. “Frederick” is a fable about a little field mouse and his friends. All the field mice, but Frederick, work all day and night to collect food for the winter. They don’t understand why Frederick isn’t working too. Frederick explains to them that he is gathering the sun’s rays, colors and words for the long, cold winter ahead. “Aren’t we lucky the seasons are four? Think of a year with one less… or one more.”


So we have “Frederick” days. Instead of storing up for the winter, we store up for the summer. This time of year is when I need my “Frederick” days the most. It is still too hot. I want autumn and I want it now.





I need to remember our cool, wet spring that was such a delight.

I need to remember an unexpected dinner outside during an unexpected cool spell in mid-June. I need to remember nights around the fire.

I need to remember cool mornings at the lake watching the herons and egrets.
I need to remember the cold day watching the sandhill cranes last winter.

As I write this, the breeze is picking up. Clouds are forming. The temperature is dropping ever so slightly. Hope ahead…

Edited: Wind brought in a beautiful evening! We ate dinner outside and it was perfect. Hope, indeed.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Barbara! Thanks so much for commenting on my blog. I popped over and wow! So glad I did. Your photographs are beautiful! Can't wait to finish this 3rd grade homework with my boys so I can browse a bit more.

Nice to *meet* you.

a quiet life said...

oh fredrick had it right, so do you! love all your images, i took my first walk today since i hurt my knee, it was a slow go with a new camera in hand, i have a learning curve for leg and lens!

Anonymous said...

What a difference location makes! I so look forward to summer when we can be outside, and am dreading the five months of winter cooped up inside. The first couple of months aren't bad, but by mid-January I've had it with winter. About April, I get to feeling the way you do now--hopeful.

Sketchy said...

I'll trade you my cool rainy day today! I'm getting tired of gray. And if it isn't raining you're still getting wet because there is just water in the air. Water in the AIR? This desert girl can't compute that. I'd love a desert summery day today.