“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, First Part
the colors of autumn
morning visits from the hummingbirds
the sound of rain on the roof
puddle jumping with Percy
fresh pressed apple cider
learning to trust myself again
***
“There is love in holding and there is love in letting go.”
― Elizabeth Berg, The Year of Pleasures
the first frost of the season
rain, mixed with showers
a truckload of compost for the garden
dahlias in every room
gingerbread
letting go
***
"I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it."
~ Lee Maynard
The rain has arrived and the mushrooms pop up overnight.
I get down and lay on my belly in the dewey grass to take a couple photos
allowing the quiet to wash over me as I cross my fingers, hoping it will turn out.
I am happy with the results.
***
"Life does not come with instructions on how to live, but it does come with trees, sunsets, smiles and laughter, so enjoy your day."
-Debbie Shapiro
walks around the lake,
fishing boats,
birds emptying the feeders,
late summer blooms
and the dog!
***
“It was one thing to use computers as a tool,
quite another to let them do your thinking for you.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October
I find myself fighting with my devices daily, missing the calmness of days past where I could find simplicity and connection through words and photos. Today I find myself focusing instead on wading my way through the influencers I encounter online. seeking out ways of leaving them behind and still finding that connection.
***
Fall arrives and I want nothing more than to slow down and enjoy it. The leaves start to turn and the mornings require two layers. But by afternoon the sun is pouring through the windows and the slider is opened. Baker claims his spot on dining room window seat, his keen awareness alerting us of the goings-ons up and down the street.
"The dahlia's first duty in life is to flaunt and to swagger and
to carry gorgeous blooms well above its leaves, and on no account to hang its head."
-Gertrude Jekyll, Wood and Garden, 1899.
on the table - the last day of September
A friend gifted me six dahlia tubers last spring. I really did not have room for them, but managed to tuck them into the one piece of soil I had left in the garden I was not sure how they would do. But here they are, on the last day of September, showing off and still flaunting their beauty.
***
“The less gear you use, the more you grow as a photographer. Although there are fewer options available, you'll find more creative ways to capture what you feel! In a way, all your technical options before turn into creative solutions that improve your photography even more.”
― Marius Vieth
Big Rock Garden - September 2025
It seems to me that everything could benefit from fewer options today. Things I find difficult often make me worry about the state of my mind, when really it is just a matter of too many options and too much technology for my elderly brain. I have so far survived the latest updates from apple across both my phone and computer, but see there is a new one tonight! I head to the park with limited gear, to see if it might calm me down.
***
