Photo on ColumbiaMagazine.com

2014-10-16 - Brock-Burris Road, Adair Co. District 4, Gradyville, KY - Photo ColumbiaMagazine.com (c).
Somehow, I don't like the prediction that fall colors will "peak" on a particular day. Some experts are doing predicting October 31, 2014 for Kentucky. Colors will be more homogeneously bright, and that will be wonderful. But I like each days change just as well. Now, those early bright leaves are afforded varying shades of green as background which let them stand out the way early adopters stand out in each step of human progress. There's an inkling of what is to come. These days, for me, are as good as - not better than, but just as good - as the more climactic days when trees achieve a mob mentality and all show off at the same time. It's mostly a time of joy for me. My mother saw life as a continuum, with times of passages and compensating gains and losses, and seemed to always find the bottom line that life - and death - are transitions, and her singular outlook was that, on balance, most changes were positive. Exceptions come to mind, of course. The death of my father; she was always melancholy at noon until two, until her death, never forgetting that was the time "E.P." would have come in from his mail route. The other was when my brother died, too young. There didn't seem any way she was ever able to make sense of that. Arthur Lee was special. Her first born. And though she practiced family political correctness, and always said all the children were equal, and would never have admitted it, all of the younger siblings knew Arthur Lee was very, very special to her. But, for the most part, Mom accepted the inevitable as just a realism to greet and be grateful for having been been greet another day of life to reach it. It's part of my being. I'll celebrate the big day of crowded forest showoffs on October 31, 2014. But I get just as much joy seeing this day of nature somewhat awkwardly practicing for day to "take the field," to be centerstage, to have its open house or grand opening, if you will, to air in prime time. For those of us who see everyday life in our part of paradise as the best of theatre, who like seeing a foundation poured, a new idea let loose on the planet or in our neighborhood, who are fascinated as a site is being prepared for a new structure, who don't celebrate change as, in itself good or bad - just change. For us, a a beautiful gray day with sincere promise is perfect. This very special place, on Brock Burris Road, Wednesday 15 Oct 2014, suggested those thoughts, as it extended a magical invitation to watch nature's rehearsal for the extravaganza on October 31 which even the most unaware will appeciate. - EW