Fall is a deep breath drawn in appreciation for a warm, full summer; bracing in the face of dark winter.
Fall is my favorite season. Enjoying its beauty in Downeast Maine makes it even better — the chill of the air, the musty scent of damp leaves underfoot, and the glorious glow of the foliage. This year’s foliage treasure hunt took me to Reversing Falls Park in Pembroke, Maine, where my husband and I were married last year, and the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring, Maine.
Reversing Falls is a favorite childhood picnic spot that has become a blessed respite. I’ve passed hours sitting on the rocks staring out at the swirl and froth of currents. In the fall, the trees nearest the water are especially vivid — perhaps because the blue of the sky and water complement the orange, red, coral and golds so perfectly.
The Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge opens an auto trail each fall. The dirt road meanders through a few miles of forests, past streams and lakes, heaths and fields, all of which show off nature’s fall fireworks to full effect. This year, I drove the auto trail on a whim on my way to the grocery store. It was mid-afternoon on a cloudy day, and the rain had only just stopped as I crested a small rise overlooking a small pond. A rainbow glowed brightly against the murky gray sky, terminating on sun-kissed gold leaves of a hardwood forest. I rushed to take a photo, and then just stood staring, breathing it in until the bow faded away a few moments later. Such beauty and for just a moment — it felt like a gift God gave just to me.
Fall is something like the year’s sunset. Watching the sun set, I am acutely aware of the speed at which the world turns because every second offers a different, stunning view until, finally, the horizon rises to cover it up. And for a brief few weeks in the fall, every hour of the day brings a changed masterpiece until the leaves, at last, are all on the ground, frosted and eventually covered with snow and the early dark of winter.
