The return of all things "pumpkin spice" reminds me that we've reached the cozy seasonal turning point of Autumn. But since I moved back to Texas this summer, it's the first year in several that I will not be experiencing the fullness of the season: mainly the magnificent chromatic transformation of the trees.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Texas, and I love that we can eat our pumpkin spice Krispy Kreme donuts out on the back patio while we fire up the barbecue wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and shorts. But I fear there's something to be missed about the inherent childhood pleasure of crunching among the scattered leaves.
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| Nürnberg, Germany, 2012 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
Nothing quite equals the whimsy of catching a rust-colored remnant as it swirls downward from dizzying heights.
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| Nürnberg, Germany 2012 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
Or the eye-popping contrast one sees as each morning new trees have decided to boast in the splendor of ochre and crimson.
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| Eschenbach, Germany, 2012 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
The cold skies turn bluer against the fiery foreground of trembling leaves, waiting for their turn to fall.
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| Netzaberg, Germany 2013 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
Some clinging to their branches as if afraid of the unknown journey to forest floor.
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| Netzaberg, Germany, 2013 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
But just as the leaves cannot cling forever, no amount of care can turn back the season. Once fallen, the leaves are free.
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Budapest, Hungary, 2014 Photo by Erik Lundmark
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Some linger near the tree, in company with their fellow cast-offs, perhaps hoping to rise again on the shoulders of the great.
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| Warsaw, Poland, 2014 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
Some are scattered and lost in the breeze or crushed by the swift-moving stream of the world.
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| Warsaw, Poland, 2014 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
But he who finds joy in the wandering winds of life will ultimately reach his unique destiny.
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| Netzaberg, Germany, 2013 Photo by Erik Lundmark |
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