Louder Than Words

 

 

I love waking up before the sun rises.

 

Those first rays of light warm the cold, damp landscape.

 

 

 

Causing the mist to rise.

 

 

Up, up, up it goes.

 

Did you ever wonder how clouds are formed?

 

I can map out where the rivers flow by the rising columns of mist.

 

 

This time of year, the morning sun is a rare thing. Something to be savored and enjoyed, as it is very fleeting. We are entering our rainy season here in Washington State and sunshine will be an elusive guest.

 

As it streams through my windows, it lights up my collection of blue glass.

 

 

And gives my houseplants some vitamin D. Do plants need vitamin D? I know I do, so I gather as much of it as I can, finding excuses to go outside.

 

 

Where Ling Ling is waiting for me.

 

The cats are lazy this time of year and only go out when the sun makes it's appearance.

 

But you can see it has rained during the night and the deck is very wet.

 

 

As I look out through the screen door, I can see that the fallen leaves need sweeping. The slightest breeze brings them down from the Big Leaf Maple tree that provides us shade in the summer. They spin as they fall, like magical parachutes. The tiny native Douglas Squirrels run the length of the branches to eat the winged seeds and chatter scoldingly at the cats sitting on the rail.

 

 

This tree is over 100 ft tall and feeds a lot of squirrels! It's leaves are sometimes a foot across! They are tough and leathery and if I don't rake them off my lawn, they will smother the grass. (I save them for compost)

 

I have many of these large and wonderful trees in our little forest. Although, this is the only one that grows near my lawn. The rest of the trees drop their leaves and there they stay.

 

 

Except on the driveway. This is a big job, one that I have not attempted yet. All the leaves have not fallen, so I will wait.  This takes many trips to remove all the leaves. But I enjoy the fresh air and exercise and the dogs who accompany me everywhere.

 

Working outside in the golden leaves restores my spirit.

 

It gives me time to think.

 

Of all the things that I am grateful for.

 

I live a rather Thoreau existence.

 

Busy raising a family, building a home, working, caring for aging parents, I didn't have much time for myself.

 

And now I am free of those obligations, (done lovingly) but this is sometimes a solitary life.

 

 

I am reinventing myself.

 

It is simply a bend in the road.

 

My solitary life has led me to writing. To start this blog. To write my newspaper column.

 

Sometimes I don't speak to a soul all day. It is just me and my animal companions and the wind in the trees.

 

The sun and the rain and the ancient, silent mountain range.

 

The forest and wildflowers.

 

And creatures of the wild.

 

But these things speak louder than words.

 

 

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xx