Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.
–Wu Men
As this beautiful poem says: here you’ll find my atmospheric seasonal photographs that hopefully will bring a smile to your face. Because every now and then we all need a little distraction and a moment to ourselves, don’t we? So have a look and enjoy!
THEME: AUTUMN
Autumn Draws Near
It’s unmistakeable. Even though at first glance the plants still look the same, the flowers bravely keep on flowering, and it’s promising to become a beautiful, warm late summer’s day, this morning I can smell that typical, damp, earthy smell. The sensory herald of autumn, the season that symbolises rot, decay and transience.
This time of year coincides with ever shorter days, colder nights and more tempestuous weather. I’m not ready yet. That’s why I’m trying with an eagerness bordering on fanaticism to eradicate all signs of the approaching autumn.
Anxiously, I keep cutting away the leaves that have newly turned brown on my ferns to just briefly maintain the illusion that they are still fresh and green. Annoyed, I rip apart the cobwebs that cling to my face as I walk through the garden. I stubbornly keep watering the withering petunias. Against better judgment. Because I realise only too well that my cherished garden will inevitably start looking increasingly desolate.
O yes, I do realise that autumn has its beautiful side. Certainly. The delicately woven cobwebs have a special beauty all their own when they’re decked out with dewdrops. When the watery autumn sun gives them a silvery sheen, they appear like natural works of art. Just like the trees that are changing colour, the smooth reddish brown chestnuts and the mushrooms that seem to appear from nowhere. This is the time of year that Mother Nature throws its box of tricks wide open.
And yet I’m beset by a sense of melancholy. No more sultry, seemingly endless nights out on the terrace. No more impromptu barbecues with friends. Finished are the relaxing bike rides after just any workday. The awning can be rolled up and the garden accessories stored inside, just like the parasol. The clock is turned back. Getting up in the dark, coming home in the dark. Braving the cold, rain and howling wind. From living outside to sitting inside.
No, I’m not ready yet. But it’s inevitable. I’ll just have to accept it. Just like thick sweaters, padded coats and woollen caps instead of tank tops, t-shirts and scanty clothes. High boots instead of flip-flops. Woollen tights instead of bare legs.
It’s the season that forces me to turn my gaze inward. I feel the need to create a cosier, more enjoyable and warmer atmosphere inside. The time has come for plaid blankets, deep-pile carpets and darker colours in the interior. But first and foremost dimmed lighting, candles and tea lights. So that I, despite the darkness, can still bathe in a warm, flickering and highly flattering glow.
So bring on autumn after all.
