The Fall of the Leaf

Yesterday, as I drove through a stretch of forest near our home, I was reminded that "fall" is indeed an appropriate term for this time of year.  In our house we have been bouncing back and forth between using the words autumn and fall to denote the current season.  Last year I did some research and discovered the word fall to describe the harvest season dates back to the 16th Century, from Germanic roots, and is a contraction of the phrase "fall of the leaf" or "fall of the year."  Autumn, on the other hand, comes from a Latin root (via Etruscan) and became popular in England a century or two later, largely after American colonization had taken place.  The root word that Americans adopted as fall carries the meaning of falling from a height, and as I watched the leaves floating and flittering their way from the treetops to the forest floor, I concluded that we ended up with the more descriptive term.

Each bend in the road revealed a new mixture of colors, and I wished there was a space to pull over and soak in the beauty of the soaring leaves swirling their way ever downward on the gusts of wind that rippled through the branches.  "How many shades of yellow, green and orange are represented in this forest," I wondered? Canary, gold, tangerine, apricot, lime, and mustard, to name a few. "This is what I have missed for the past few years . . . Entire forests filled with changing trees." I slowed the car to a crawl and snapped a couple of photos through the front window.

I have heard a few complaints that the fall colors this year are less spectacular than normal.  The mild nights and abundant rainfall of the past three weeks certainly have created less than ideal conditions for vibrant colors.  But if the trees are dull compared to other years, I have not noticed.   Instead I marvel with each drive up and down the winding roads near our house.  Certain stretches are truly spectacular, making me glad that I can claim October as my birthday month.  The changing landscape creates an ache within and at the same time makes me grateful for the gift of faith in a God who created this kaleidoscope of color.

View from the parking lot where I teach

Foliage at North Park

 

Maple leaves in our front yard

Looking out through our bedroom window

And just to keep the record straight, I loved the autumn colors in Melbourne as well.  There is abundant evidence in the following posts, Loving autumn, The sumptuous colors of May 2011, Loving the Leaves, and Beauty in the Rain.  These posts contain some of my favorite photos from Down Under. The difference is that in Pittsburgh the change that autumn brings is seen as far as the eye can reach, in both native forests and planted gardens.  November may be bleak, and let's not think yet about January and February, but October provides enough glory to last well into the winter months.

Comments

[Shanda]

beautiful. I love that last picture!