After a Good Day of Rain

A rainy Saturday morning and at 8:30 a.m., it’s still dark and dreary. I can see glimpses of the brook between the spindles of the deck railing. Two days ago, I had to go out on the deck to see any water as there were only a few puddles pooled between small rocks. Now, with a second day of rain, the water gushes over bigger rocks, its whitewater mesmerizing as it rushes downward on its way to the lake.

Just before moving beyond my sight, at a more level area, the water is a highlighted silvery blue-gray moving over darkness.

Yellowed leaves of the deciduous trees across the brook are now taking on a more orange hue, while the leaves on this side are just now turning yellow creating a mottled look. (These closer trees are surrounded more by bigger hemlock and pine and get less sun.)

I love this view. When I first moved here, I was asked why I didn’t use one of the spare bedrooms for my office/work area. Why would I want to be in a smaller room when I can sit here and have this view? This is my comfort spot, my oasis. When I get stressed, I can take a few minutes and just look out at this beauty breathing in… and breathing out… Ahhh… sigh… so nice.

My attention pulls in as an acorn hits the deck and bounces against the glass slider with a loud crack making me jump. Acorns, small oak branches, and pine needles have been dropping for days and are now joined by pinecones. I hear them hitting the roof before rolling off. Sometimes those acorns hit so hard! Goodness, it’d hurt to get clobbered by one, and I think about that when I’m putting up and taking down the bird feeders.

The purple deck floor makes a contrasting canvas for nature’s work of art. The patterns, textures, and autumn colors grab my attention. I’m intrigued by the randomness of where and how they all land. Some pieces are off by themselves, some are stuck together in small groups, while others clump together in a bigger pile.  I go out with the camera and take a dozen photos. Each photo could be its own framed piece if I so desired.

I took 54 photos, deleted 24. Then when I went to post this, friends from other towns were posting snow pictures. Yikes! Not ready for that.