Autumn in its Splendor

One of my favorite smells is the smell of Autumn – the deep richness of the crisp crinkly leaves that have left their summer heights and have fallen to the ground, the sharp cool air that fills your lungs with life, the subtle warmth of the afternoon sunshine as it stretches its last rays in a lingering farewell. Contrasted with the vibrant green scent of Summer – the freshly cut grass mixed with the soaking heat of the summer sun that races across the sky in all its glory – the smell of Autumn is full, deep, loudly silent.



Yesterday, the kids and I took an afternoon walk in the woods, searching for yummy edibles to nibble on or collect to save and store. We were not disappointed! We collected an abundance of wild rose hips. They are bright, ruby red gems shining out from masses of tangled brambles and thorny hedges. Silly me, I had brought no scissors to snip off the fruitful ends of the branches. But I discovered that the ends have no thorns! If you grasp just behind the bunch of rose hips and gently pull they all come popping off into your hand. I filled my pockets. (Somehow the multitudes that I picked didn’t seem so many when I poured them out on the counter at home.)



The other glorious find that we eagerly snatched was the ripe Autumn Olive. In the spring, the Autumn Olive bushes fill the air with a sweet heady scent; they are in the honeysuckle family. I remember wishing that I could bottle the heavenly perfume and either wear it or drink it mixed with honey mead. Now, the branches hang heavily down, weighted with red little berries dotted with white specks. Weeks ago I started collecting them; then they were tart and tangy making your mouth pucker with pleasure. Now they are rich and juicy, sweetly succulent – a dessert fit for kings! We enjoy them in salads and muffins – or, better yet, fresh off the bush!



I also eagerly picked an Autumn bouquet. Most of the flowers have faded, smothered by the frosts that blanket the ground in the early morning, but the leaves are lovely! I found some oak and maple branches that still had a firm grasp on their decorative foliage and happily arranged them in an old broken pitcher; I managed to find a few daring sprigs of asters that had escaped the cool clutches of last weeks frosty mornings as well as some nice red-leaved bushes that I don’t know the name of. I’m pleased with the outcome! I’ve never been really proficient at decorating my house – mostly because I can’t bring myself to purchase things for mere decoration. I guess I’ve also never really settled; we’ve never felt as though we were going to remain in one place permanently. However, I do delight in beautiful things, especially things that cannot be created nor harnessed by man. I love bringing bits of the wild outside into my home where I can enjoy small portions of this wondrous creation throughout my day.