Thursday, September 29, 2005

The Season I Miss





These beautiful photos were taken by nature photographer Don Paulson.

Here in San Diego it is HOT. The high near my house (inland) is expected to reach 97 degrees, and on the coast it will be in the 80's. Every October we have a heat wave, so you think I'd be used to it by now. Fall is the season I have missed the most since moving to California. Having been raised in Kentucky and Michigan, I grew up experiencing seasonal changes. I have lived here 29 years, and I still miss them. One of the sweetest adult memories I have is of a time when my mom went for a walk in the woods behind her home, gathered a box of fall leaves, and sent them to me. When I opened the box the sight, smell, and texture of the leaves overwhelmed me. She also wrote me a lovely letter talking about how much she would like to be able to walk with my son into the woods to see the leaves and talk about the trees. He was only five at the time. I showed him the leaves and talked about grandma, and I think we may have made some crayon leaf-rubbings together.

It was always hard for both of us to live so far apart, so every year that Mom was alive I travelled to visit as many times as I could. She would send me tape recorded stories and messages so we could hear the sound of her voice. She has been gone for almost 12 years, and I still miss her desperately. And, as you can see, the fall season still makes me melancholy.

10 comments:

Frances said...

I am going round the mavericks and have come to your beautiful photos, I love your little story of the leaves, here on the islands there are very few trees and I thought I would miss them, I do but it is made up for by the colour in the moors, late October the moor grass (which is not like garden grass) turns rust and orange and the heather goes peaty brown it looks amazing especially if the sun hits it,

Frances said...

ok so here is where I come when I want a new photo background, I was thinking of changing it when you posted Emily's work so emily became my backgroung but I've just changed it to the last photo, the silver birches, breathtaking, thanks jen for posting such beautiful and interesting photos,

Gerrie said...

Wow, you know I love these photos! I grew up on a farm in upstate NY where much of the land was in maple trees.

Deb R said...

Aw, Jen, your wonderful memories of your mom got me all teary-eyed. Mine will have been gone 4 years next month and I still miss her desperately too. Big hugs to you.

Darcie said...

What a touching story, Jen. Hold onto those memories in one hand, and share them in the other!

Darcie

Deb Lacativa said...

Thanks for the reminder to call the folks today. It's fall in New York and I miss the family and the change of seasons every day. Here in the south the seasons just sneak up on one another.

Joanne said...

It's fall in the midwest, but we had a drought all summer, so the leaves aren't turning colors as usual, they're falling off the trees. Fall is my favorite time of year, and it was my mom's too. She's been gone 10 years and I still miss her. Thanks for the memories!
Joanne

Cathy said...

Those colors remind me of growing up in New Hampshire. I love the aspen gold here but I miss the other beautiful colors. It's just not the same.

Finn said...

Hugs Jen, for the all the things that are absent from your life today...but 3 cheers for such good memories, and a mom who realized how painful it is for daughters. My mom died at 52, when I was 27 and just barely a new mom myself. I miss her in every season, but most of all in autumn..*S*

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh those pictures are gorgeous! And what wonderful memories they bring to you. Thanks for sharing those thoughts with us, made me think a lot also!