“Before me spread a carpet of freshly fallen leaves, pristine and undisturbed, like a ribbon of gold, drawing me forward into the serenity of the autumn forest.” – Ed Lehming

This past weekend was a magical time, on several levels; frost had settled into the forests, causing leaves to fall rapidly as the sun warmed the trees, creating a thick and aromatic carpet of colour, and it was also the first time since I was in my teens that I found myself without a job.

The walk in the forest gave me time to consider this point in time in terms of similarities. The forest was transitioning rapidly from early fall, with it’s beautiful and colourful canopy and the reality I have been living, working full time at the same employer for the past 34 years was also changed.

It was all changing before my eyes. As I walked through the bright forest, the leaves crunching underfoot I thought to myself, “this is not so bad, I have all this to enjoy more often”, at least for the near future, as I heal my body and spirit after years of stress. There was no real worry about the future, simply an enjoyment of the moment. The beautiful golden carpet before me spoke to my future, and it’s not one filled with gloom and dread; it’s bright, cheerful and filled with promises of more beauty.

I am truly blessed to have this beauty so close at hand; a place to unwind and be with my thoughts, surrounded by wonderful sights, sounds, and aromas. That day was also filled with the most wonderful light and yielded many photos that I will be sharing over the next few weeks. My personal ‘transition’ is also offering me more time to write and spend time with my thoughts and emotions.

iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/767 sec; f/1.8; ISO 20