Autumn Leaves song - partial lyrics - Google song title for various versions of the song
"The falling leaves drift by the windowThe autumn leaves of red and goldI see your lips, the summer kissesThe sun-burned hands I used to hold"
The song, partially quoted above, always pops into my brain this time of year. I believe I learned it in Miss Delma Wright's Freshman Choir class. We didn't sound anything like Nat King Cole or Doris Day. The lyrics seem a little racier than I remember singing at that tender young age. 😁
Summer is my favorite season. I used to pretend to enjoy Autumn the most. Paul loves Fall! Football and hunting impact those feelings, of course. But summer! I like to be warm. And going outdoors not dressed to the hilt with various layers of gear to ward off the chill.
This year is different. I love the gorgeous low-wind days we have enjoyed thus far. Most leaves have fallen by now, yet the sun's angle and portrait painting sunrises and sunsets have awed me.
I think back to Autumns of my youth. Our home in Atlantic was on an Elm tree-lined street (until Dutch Elm Disease felled them) complete with bushels of leaves each fall. Raking was an annual chore and opportunity! We'd rake them into piles and jump in them.
With neighbors, the Reinertson girls, we'd rake the leaves into thin lines which became walls for our pretend horse barn. We would take turns being the horses - using those rubbery jump ropes as halters around our waists. I loved picking my horse name and describing my horsy appearance. I was partial to black with white socks and a big white blaze on my nose.
I think our neighbor Harley Baxter eventually managed the leaves - probably composting or burning in his backyard across the street. Later, at our first home in Creston, Paul and I managed leaves the same way. He found out the hard way that one should not burn on the patio close to the vinyl siding! Now I know how bad leaf burning is for air quality - especially for those with lung disorders. Composting is a great way to return organic material to the soil.
As I age, I continue to look for ways to get exercise. My goal this year is to walk outdoors early - regardless of weather. It's been warm and very dry for the most part - making for gorgeous views. The sad part of that is we need rain badly to fill up streams, rivers, and ponds. The City of Osceola just south of DSM is in an emergency stage as their water supply lake is drying up. Scary!
I hope you're enjoying Autumn wherever you are.
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| This leaf spoke to me - in a crabby voice! |
