Au Revoir! A Bientôt!

Days are quiet now.
Oh, so quiet.


It's funny how alive and teeming with sound the farm is
in the spring and early summer.
And then autumn arrives and with it... peace...
peace and quiet.


It serves as a gentle reminder that the season of rest lies ahead.
It's that time of year when the earth prepares to send its energy 
down into the ground to await the coming cold, and preserve the spark of
life that will ignite a spring emergence.


The squirrels gather nuts.
The leaves turn and then float to the ground.
The flowers dry and the stalks whither.
It's all just a preparation for sleep.


It's no secret that Autumn is my favorite season.
Her arrival brings cooler air that rustles through drying leaves.
She is not cruel, though, for first she paints the land with a 
palette of yellows, golds, oranges, and russets...
with dabs of purple for contrast.


She gives us one last amazing show before exiting in a billow of crunchy brown.

I have to be intentional about sitting in different spaces here on the farm
and enjoying the treasures of autumn.
It's easy, afterall, to be swept away in busy-ness.


Yesterday, while out for afternoon chores,
I took some time to sit by the pond.
The dappled water was dotted with yellow leaves,
and the gentle, cool breeze carried even more leaves down to the surface of the water.


As I walked back the rip-rap that borders our pond,


four bullfrogs leapt into the water...


letting out a rubbery "honk" before hitting the water.
The sound was that of a small burst of air from an airhorn just before depletion.


Across the pond, in the shadows of the woods sat our three pond ducks.


Their visitors, three mallards, slept nearby on a fallen tree.


I listened to the sound of rustling leaves above me.
A quiet chorus of crickets came from the woods
as well as the chirping of grasshoppers as they rubbed their back legs across their wings.

While the soundtrack of a spring day energizes me,
the quiet backdrop of autumn sounds soothes my soul.


I think to myself...
"how lucky am I to be here to witness this moment...
this one particular, unique moment."


We live in a fascinating, beautiful world, don't we?

And with that I am signing off for the next week and a half.
I will return on Monday, October 7th with tales of our adventures.
Please feel free to follow our Instagram Account.... Beehavenacres.
If Instagram isn't your bag, we will have to catch up on our return.
Til then... may you enjoy the gifts of Autumn with your eyes wide open
and your heart full of gratitude.
Much love from the farm!!
See you soon!


Comments

Louise Stopford said…
Have a wonderful time Bev. Look forward to catching up with your holiday adventures. You have inspired me about Autumn - going to look at it differently and not just as the run up to Winter. Bon Voyage!!!!
daisy g said…
Safe travels, you two. May you enjoy all of the blessings that only France can bring. Viva le croissant!
Anonymous said…
How do those pumpkins stay up on the fence posts? My wind in Kansas would blow them off! Have a wonderful time!!
Susan said…
Autumn is my favorite season. I love your description and reading what it means to you. Thank you for sharing! Hope you have a wonderful, safe journey!!
This N That said…
Beautiful post. Safe travels. You will be missed. Hugs
Leslye said…
Reading your post and looking at your pictures make me imagine that I'm there too.I love how you describe things.Have a safe and happy adventure.