And All With a Leaf

In Illinois, autumn is much more pronounced than in Tennessee. Growing up, I was used to trick-or-treating while light snow flurries drifted down from the pitch black sky. Nashville does not experience such a drastic declaration of my favorite season. In fact the passing of the first day of autumn (September 22, as marked by the autumnal equinox) was as un-noteworthy as a day could be. I felt no chill in the air, no insatiable desire to buy spiced apple cider, nor a sudden urge for pumpkin carving.

The herald of autumn was nowhere to be found. No signs nor exclamations of joy were proclaimed. The earth was preparing to enter into a deep and restful sleep without the usual pomp and circumstance. And upon noticing this, I was deeply saddened.

But wait...I saw something, something whispering instead of declaring. A lone, fire-red leaf lying on the grassy carpet below. Though it was alone, it was still doing its duty to share the wonderful news of autumn's arrival. And I was no longer saddened.

The photo below was taken the morning after my wife and I camped at Montgomery Bell State Park just north of I-40, west of Nashville, TN. I could almost smell the hot apple cider.

18mm, f/3.6, 1/400 sec
The Lone Herald, Montgomery Bell State Park, TN