Fall in my neck of the woods

Fall is at its peak this week.

The sweet gum trees are ablaze with coral,

and the dogwoods sport their crimson coats.

I have been marking the season's progress

in my own backyard and in the surrounding area.

A dogwood flares in the woods behind my house.

Grasses wave at the windmill presiding on the hillside

of a 125 acre private garden a little ways from my house.

Emerald green arborvitae contrasts with the yellowing

foliage of a bald cypress (the same trees that populate

swamps in the deep south. They are also native to this region).

My backyard glows on a bright morning.

A path is lined with boxwood at the aforementioned

private garden in the woods.

Classic southern Illinois views, looking out over the

Shawnee Hills.

Another dogwood on our property....

And another. The holly in the foreground seems so sharp

by comparison.




Oranges and yellows stand out amid the brush of greenery

still on the ground.

Moss lines the path deep in the woods.

Bittersweet vines from the woods make their way indoors.

I hope you are enjoying the many graces of this

season of evanesence.

Now is the time to take to the woods...

Winter will be here much too soon.

Until next time...

Anne

Artifacts

A container of ashes,

a series of black and white photographs,

a blue t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt,

a notebook full of faded scribblings,

a collection of ticket stubs,

a travel sewing kit,

a chain mail bracelet--

The remains of a truncated life.

These artifacts are all I have left of you.

I cradle them in my hand or mind,

and inhale deeply

as if I could extract your essence from them,

and I might breathe you back into being.

As if they could bring me one tiny step closer to you,

and we might once again walk the same path.

As if they could permit me to hold onto you for just a bit longer,

and I might hug that bony frame of yours.

Alas, you no longer inhabit my world.

All that remains are the things you held close

and the memories I now clutch to my breast.

For my son, Ryan, who would have been 22 today.

I miss him dearly.

Until next time...

Anne

Pinterest

My newest hobby

Have you heard of Pinterest?

It is my latest obsession on-line.

Pinterest allows you to create inspiration boards on any topic you choose

and to continue to build them as you go along.

My boards are growing.

I have 14 of them covering a range of topics

from art to architecture,

from gardens to nature,

and, of course, interior spaces.

Here are some highlights:

The beauty of Pinterest is its speed and ease.

And there are so many gorgeous images out there;

at the click of a button, they become yours.

How many of you use this application?

And how do you keep interested (and viable)

in the world of blogging?

My interest is waning.

Until next time...

Anne