Autumn Trees Shout Out!

My twice weekly commute to French class 
has been more enchanting than ever.

Each time I see different mixes of colors 
along a 40 mile stretch of road: 

Through woods, by lakes, next to fields & farms,

with distant small round top mountains 
to the north, east and south.

Heading East just as you come to 
the hilltop Seahorse Farm,
distant views emerge, of Penobscot Bay, Blue Hill,
and the hills of Mount Desert Island,
while peaceful horses graze 
in rolling pastures to your right.

Wednesday, 
I finally stopped at a little lakeside State Park
 to do some sketching.

The only other person there, 
under a shaded pavillion was a watercolor painter. 
It was understood
that we would not chat but just paint & draw.

Such intensity,

such vibrancy,
 these hardwoods shout out their beauty,
with arms reaching out to me, and to the sky.
Each spot along the road is different.  
Some places are in full color,
 others have faded, 
others have more evergreens.
Still other hadwoods are only beginning 
to change from their summer greens.

This last shout out of the leaves as they depart is festive.
 I am in the autumn of my life, "golden years" they say.

It does seem to be filled with days of brightness,
(as well as soft fog and grays.)