When it’s fall, trees rule all.
There are other times of year when other aspects of nature are most magnificent – flowers, the ocean, the sky. But in autumn – it’s the trees, hands down.
I’ve always felt a strong connection with trees. When I was a kid, I didn’t have a tremendous relationship with nature – I didn’t plant a garden, I didn’t care much for flowers, and I didn’t have a lot of experience with mountains or wilderness. But I did love trees. I wanted to climb them and I wanted to cuddle up in their branches with a good book. I w
rote a novel about a bunch of kids who used to hang out in a cherry tree. (One of them fell out of the tree and died. I was a little morbid as a young writer.)
The trees along I-83 have been making my commute way lovelier these past few weeks. And the Fire Tree in our backyard is turning a brilliant bright red; the leaves have been gradually falling, draping a beautiful crimson blanket around the base of the tree, like the blanket we wrap around the base of our Christmas tree every December. It makes me feel lucky to live in a world with Novembers.
