Leaves

Japanese maple in Whirlowbrook Park

They call it The Fall in North America but here in England we only call it Autumn. Trees draw  in their breaths and summer becomes but a memory. Deciduous trees deprive their leaves of sustenance and many of them change colour as they prepare to fall.

Leaves. That's a funny word when you come to think of it. Leaving is about goodbyes and endings and autumn leaves are also about that. Leaves leave us speechless at times - such is their autumnal beauty. Beauty in death. If only it was always that way.

This lovely autumn, I have frequently walked amongst or upon leaves without a camera, failing to record a lot of the loveliness I have seen - the colours, the patterns, the way that leaves have been blown into beautiful collages - each leaf a little different from the next. No two leaves are ever quite the same.

I came out of this house on Thursday and saw a leaf attached by moisture to the bodywork of my new car - Butch. It was the underside of the leaf I was seeing - paler and far less vivid than the face side. . You might be able to see me and our house reflected in the metallic grey paint...

And when I walked at Lodge Moor last Sunday, this gateway to a path was kind of framed by autumn leaves.

These crinkly leaves were in the grounds of Kenwick Park near Louth during our long weekend break last month...

I think we are past the best of the autumn leaves now - especially as more rain is predicted to  fall in the week ahead. Last week, Shirley and I swept up all of the leaves that had gathered upon the little  block-paved  driveway in front of our house. Out back I tend to gather the leaves up and store them to create nutritious leaf mould  after several months have passed by.

And now I shall leave you.