Thursday, October 27, 2016

In Which I Sift Through Autumn's Snapshots

autumn on Cape Cod is color unleashed
back roads quiet, houses darkened 
beaches gray & stormy
skies blue & leaves russet
all kinds of surprise glimpses await here

 
if you crawl into the swampy woods with a clipper in your hands
& bring me armloads of berries on the vine
I'll love you forever



a sabbath afternoon wind blew us sideways on outermost shores
where the ocean wore this startling shade of deepest aqua



the intricate door knob & weathered screen door
beckoned me closer at an old captain's house



 adventurous parasailers prepare to venture up up & away
from these high ocean cliffs



 vines of bittersweet & heaping handfuls of winterberry
fill two watering cans perched outside the kitchen door



 the uppermost floors of this National Seashore building
majestically hold court over windswept dunes



after the stormiest of nights,
 you'll find me walking an abandoned shoreline
 searching for buoys that have lost their moorings



 ocean beaches are eroding away at a startling pace
as each wild storm passes through



these bittersweet vines are my favorite ...
if only we could gather enough to make a welcoming wreath for each door
{hint hint}



The Kindness Project morphed on a bayside beach several months ago
 & remnants still remain despite an onslaught of pelting rain & strong winds



I might have been the first one to scoop up a small cartload of pumpkins
at this well-stocked local farmstand



unforgettable sunsets remain with the viewer long after evening's gone



& on truly special evenings, 
we might head to someplace cozy
 where I won't have to think about what to cook for supper

: : :

Let's chat about your favorite autumn joys, my fine friends ...




: :

sharing autumn's splendor with

46 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures!! I was starting to feel a bit jealous and funky looking at your pictures after a cold snowy October day but then (head slap) I was gently reminded I just need to look a bit harder for beauty on days like this. Tomorrow I shall try harder..................

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    1. Ah ... it's frigid and windy, rainy and blustery 'round these parts, Val.

      Brr!

      Hope you're toasty and warm.

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  2. Such beautiful pictures, Linda! I believe the Kindness Project remains is my favorite. The parasailers seriously made me a nervous wreck. Just seeing the picture! I just can't imagine ever doing that but hats off to their fearlessness. Thanks for sharing these wonderful Autumn moments, my friend.

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    1. Fearless. Someday you and I will be known by that word, Candace! Not now, but someday where we won't need a whole bunch of apparatus to fly high.

      Come, Lord Jesus!

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  3. Favorite autumn joys are pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving celebration, colors of the Hudson Valley, and the crispness in their air. It refreshes me after hot, hot summer. Walking and biking are a true pleasure at this time of year.

    Love those pics...sunset is my fav and Tim scrabbling for your vines. What a guy!!!!!!!

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    1. Nothing beats the Hudson Valley in the fall. Absolutely nothing. The rolling hills, the vibrant rainbow of colors, the Walkway over the Hudson, the apple orchards lining the roads up to our old house.

      [sigh}

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  4. Thanks for giving us a peek on your jaunt along the fall-touched beaches and landscapes of New England, Linda. And I absolutely LOVE that photo of the sunset. I bet is was even more spectacular in person, but it wowed me today! Hugs to you!

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    1. I hope the end of this week is finding you feeling stronger and in less pain, friend. May your writing and connecting hither and yon bring you comfort.

      Praying often ...

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  5. Linda, your photos are amazing! We recently returned from a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains where Danny got LOTS of terrific pictures of leaf change (that's my favorite thing about autumn) that you can see in my latest blog.
    Blessings!

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    1. I've never been to the Great Smokies, Martha. But someday, maybe someday. My husband would love to travel around from state to state ... I tend to be a bit more sedentary.

      ;-}

      Thanks for sharing beauties on your site, friend.

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  6. How blessed you are to live near the ocean, Linda. :) I love your photos! My favorites are the vines in the sprinkler cans and the sunset. :) And I think that kindness project is awesome, too! Thank you for adding smiles to my day! Have a blessed weekend! Hugs!

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    1. The little watering can is one of my favorite outdoor collectibles. It brings a smile to my face whenever I use it.

      Yes, a piece of weathered tin can do that, ya' know ...

      ;-}

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  7. Oh, I was hoping you'd show us some of Autumn's glimpses through your lens, my friend! Simply lovely!

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    1. What kind words coming from such a talented photographer. I do believe you've made my day ...

      {say cheese}

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  8. Absolutely beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing!
    Blessings!

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  9. Not sure if I'm commenting twice as my first comment disappeared before I was done writing it! Your photos are lovely, Linda! Our students made Kindness Rocks earlier this month... at last check, they've been left in at least four states! I left mine in Vermont. It was shaped like a heart ... and you know where my heart yearns to live. Those wings! Mmmmmmm

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    1. I love that your Kindness Project has left its mark in 4+ states. If ever we needed to spread heaps of kindness around, oh it surely is now.

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  10. Beautiful! Feels so restful! And snug!

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  11. I love all these colors of fall, Linda! What a beautiful palette you and God have put together for us.

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  12. What an incredible place to visit and enjoy! The colors of autumn were simply glorious, and that majestic sunset was a wowzer! So thankful you were able to simply enjoy the beauty of the beaches and the magnificence of the fall colors. Your pictures and thoughts accompanying each one made me feel as though I were there with you, and I'm sure I could smell the clear salt air!

    Many hugs to you today!

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    1. The majesty of His creation stretches from coast to coast, continent to continent. I'm guessing He's enjoying the work of His hands immensely ...

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  13. Hi Linda! What beautiful colors, and words too. I'd love to walk that beach and look for buoys too. And what a lovely idea, a Kindness Project...I'd be very tempted to grab one of those stones. Much better idea to take a photo to remember.
    In the fall, I love walking in the Arboretum, and walking on the nature trail. The colors this year are spectacular, which was a surprise. We were thinking that the changes might pass us by because of the warmer weather. I love it!
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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    1. Good morning, Ceil! I love a good nature trail, foot path, some safe place where we can wend our way through whatever nature is offering at that time ...

      Fall is a beauty, isn't it ...

      ;-}

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  14. Your picture make me want to come visit you. We were up north in California this past week on a ministry trip. One of the couples we visited were working at a camp in the redwoods close to the ocean. It was rainy, cool, down right cold at night but beautiful. The ocean beach we went to was a great place to watched the ocean beat on the rough rock. But the favorite part was the fall colors ...I could have sit for hours and just soaked them in. But we spend most of our time inside talking to the couple we went to see. What little time I got to enjoy the fall weather and colors was enough to refresh my soul. Grateful for all that took place on our trip.

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    1. I love how God used His creation to fortify your soul so you could minister to others, Betty. The sights and sounds you soaked in fortified you and restored your soul so you lend a lovely grace, wisdom, and presence to that couple.

      What a sparkling testimony ... thank you for being here and sharing a bit of your weekend with us.

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  15. These are beautiful- thanks for sharing, Linda! The kindness project looks like a great idea, and that sunset is amazing!

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    1. And congrats to you, my friend. You made it through 31 Days. Yay!

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  16. lovely photographs.. thanks for sharing

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  17. Love these views into your world!! What kind of berries was he picking?? The sunset was incredible as were several other shots! Thanks, sweet friend!!

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    1. Those are bittersweet vines! We clipped them when the 'berries' were still encased in the rather hard golden shell. Over the weeks, they pop open, revealing the orange-y red inside.

      Glorious! They make the best wreaths!

      ;-}

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  18. So glad to see through your pictures you enjoying so many of the treasures God has for you and all of us when we stop to see and enjoy! Thank you for taking me on this journey too!

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  19. Where to start?
    1. The wings looks ultra yummy.
    2. The Kindness Project brought a smile.
    3. The pictures? All of them drew me in to walk side-by-side with you for a bit, Linda. Thanks for the invite. I loved the visit. ;-) Happy autumn!

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    1. Ah yes, the wings. Ultra yummy says it all. Sticky and sweet and not too spicy.

      Not something we normally order, Kristi. That'll have to change!

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  20. OH! Bittersweet! I could just crawl right into the picture with it because it's so lovely! And as for pumpkins, our house right now is redolent with the aroma of pumpkin and apple soup in the crockpot. I just love fall, and therefore your pictures are wonderful to me!

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    1. Oh yum ... do you share your recipes?

      Soup season is upon us hearty New Englanders, yes?

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  21. Favorite autumn joys? Raking leaves, sleeping with the window open, birthdays, Christmas music (I know), fall gardening. Beautiful pictures, Linda. Wish I could see it all in person! :-)

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    1. I'm with you, Lois ... 'yes, please' to windows open no matter what the temps. Gotta love that fresh air in the night. Frigid out? Just crank up the electric blanket!

      ;-}

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  22. Linda,
    I love the bittersweet branches and berries photos! Every time I see a wreath of those, they look so lovely. I wonder if you gather them and make your own wreaths? You certainly live in a beautiful area, to enjoy the sea, land and blooms. More photos please! xo

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    1. I used to make grapevine wreaths back in the day when they hung heavy over much of our property. What fun!

      I've made a few bittersweet ones along the way, too. Fragile, but precious.

      It's amazing what we find on wooded paths, yes?

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  23. Such natural beauty! I love that you are searching for it and not letting it pass you by.
    Right now, I am trying to enjoy the still too hot weather. I will be wanting it back soon enough!

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    1. Enjoy these final warmish days, friend! It won't be long 'til you're grabbing a sweatshirt and a thick scarf!

      {Although I did go out for dessert tonight in my flips ... and it was 50 degrees. A bit brisk, but I just can't let summer go ...}

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