Sunday afternoon we drove up north to see some fall colors. The wizards of weather foresaw rain and gloom, but the wind tidied up the sky and swept the clouds into the corners so the sun could shine across the bright blue dome.
Crowds of slim birch trees dressed in their finest yellow drew close to the road and shyly waved as we drove by. Rosy-cheeked sumac crowded round their feet and drew even closer to watch the cars go by. The oaks, of course, wore their best: dappled patterns of green, yellow, orange, and red; swaths of color made iridescent by the light. Standing among the glory of the colors, the firs and pine trees kept to themselves, attending to their business of staying ever green.
Near the village of Wittenberg, we saw one deer, a young doe, crossing the road. We slowed the car, and she turned to look at us. When we drew closer, she turned and ran, her white tail waving goodbye.
Near Tigerton and again near New London, we crossed the Embarrass River with its intriguing name. It’s easy to imagine the naming as a kind of penance for some act of shame or humiliation by Wisconsin’s early settlers, but it’s merely French for obstruction. Before any other Europeans arrived here, the French canoed their way through the state rivers looking for a route to China. They were as successful as we were as children, digging holes, thinking we could tunnel through the earth and crawl out in Shanghai. Trees lining this tributary of the Wolf River fell into the water, clogging the passage of the French, so they named it for its obstruction.
Our drive led us past red-barned fields, each marked by one or more silo like silent sentinels guarding the farms. Acres of corn crowded the land, each stalk wearing a feathered cap in anticipation of the harvest.
We spoke little on our drive; our hearts were too full. Fall crushes us with its beauty and heals us in turn. Beauty is the heart-balm that creates a longing for home and then invites us in, and each time the earth turns, splashing my eyes with its color, I cannot get enough of it.
year-struck 
Mmmm. Autumn is just now deploying her flood of color in Connecticut. So far days have remained warm enough for house-painting, thank goodness. Definitely my favorite time of tear. Thanks for taking me on your drive!
I’m sure you have some fantastic scenery your way during autumn. Hope you are healing and enjoying the beauty of the season.
your gorgeous photos and personification of the trees makes me want to go up north… Maybe you can get a part-time job writing tourism brochures!
North is the place to be in the fall.
Eloquent descriptions and beautiful pictures. Does it get any better than that?
Autumn makes you glad you are alive. Winter makes you wonder if it’s worth it.
How fickle is history? The French probably would have made it to China if they weren’t so embarrassed by Wisconsin’s rivers.
marvelous!
That’s right. Why isn’t information like this in the history books?
Thanks for taking me on such a lovely Sunday drive. It was a pleasant escape as from our almost ninety degree heat and lingering drought.
No matter what the weather is where you are, it feels as if the whole world is experiencing the same. And there you are with ninety degree heat!
Wonder and awe…at the journey, but also the words. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it.
What a beautiful reflection on autumn. Thoroughly enjoyed your descriptions, and the pictures too.
So happy to hear that, ShimonZ.
As per usual, your words have created images, and it’s those images that allow your readers to be a part of the experience. While leaving us waiting and wanting the next. Thanks for the ride YS.
Thank you. And thank for reading.
Your imagery makes me want to take a drive, but our trees aren’t as prompt as the ones up north and I will have to wait a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, though, you have given me much to look forward to.
I hope by now some of the trees in your area are getting dressed up for the season. Enjoy.
Very nice drive. We haven’t gotten “up north” yet this year. So this will have to do. I realized that fall came this week. Last week everything was still green. This week, the colors are ablaze. What lit the match?
No matter how many times you see the colors change, it astounds you each time.
Thanks so much for coming over and visiting my blog a couple of days ago…I appreciate that you are one of my readers. Happy ‘Canadian’ Thanksgiving…your photographs say it all. We need to be grateful.
I hope you had a good celebration at your Thanksgiving.
Wonderful words describing a magical season!
Thank you, Iltana.
Beautiful descriptive prose, it has a lyrical quality.
I’m glad you liked it, JAA.
Beautiful post, Y S.
Thank you.
Etymologically speaking, to embarrass is ‘to put a bar in [the way].’
Yes, the French gave us the word, and without them, we would never be embarrassed. 🙂