As autumn takes hold of the Nova Scotia landscape, trees release to the wind the leaves they’ve nourished since springtime. When frosty days come around, it’s time to let go.
Though we don’t have leaves to lose at this time of year, perhaps we too have things to release in this season of change…
Letting go of expectations is a good start. So often we hold such firm expectations of what life should be like at any given stage, how others should be, how we should be, that we fail to see the what is. Who would have thought a fungus could have petals or a log could hold a snowflake?
Wild creatures seem to have so much less of a problem than we do leaving possessions behind that no longer serve a purpose. It’s odd that we’re the beasts who fiercely hang on tooth and nail to clothes or homes we’ve outgrown and objects that would be better put to use by someone else. Who’ll find comfort from the winter cold in this abandoned flicker nest?
It’s not the daily increase but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.
~ Bruce Lee
While summer’s abundant blooms shout out “More is more!” autumn’s Michaelmas daisies whisper wisely ”Less is more.”
What about past successes? Don’t the things we’ve done well in the past tug at us to continue to do more of the same in the future? Letting go of these might seem ridiculous unless we consider the toll of doing work that does not fulfill or that may no longer be an expression of who we are now in this new season of life. A tree that foolishly clings to its beautiful, brightly colored leaves may be completely destroyed in a wind or ice storm.
Perhaps this letting go of our concept of self is the most difficult. Just as it’s easy to define a tree by its showy leaves, it’s all too easy for us as well to define ourselves simply by our outward skills and talents. We are so much more and still full of surprises, at any age. Hey, where did those raspberries come from so late in the year?
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
~ Lao Tzu
In art theory, red and green are considered opposite one another on the colour wheel. These are known as complementary colours.
Whether it’s a light or bright blue, October’s sky contrasts beautifully with orange tinged leaves. Their warm and fiery hue manages to balance the crisp coolness of the clear blue sky, making autumn seem less chilling.
Silhouettes of leaves can be seen trembling in the wind through the glass of the front door’s window as well. By the time witches and goblins show up at the door in a couple of weeks, they’ll be all gone.
Often painted, they may also be made of stone, colored sand or stained glass, such as in the rose windows found in Gothic cathedrals. Some, like Tibetan sand mandalas, possess an impermanent quality, as their deconstruction is also part of the ritual surrounding their creation. Mandalas might be intended as representations of the universe, the unconscious self or the relationship between the inner and outer realms. 
Sunny yellow foliage is making its appearance on the Nova Scotia landscape. Birches, poplars and tamaracks all transform into bright gold at this time of year. Hot summers will often turn the leaves a dry brown before they have a chance to become yellow, but this summer’s plentiful rains and cooler temperatures promise golden hues this fall.
Unlike the rose hips, the elongated nightshade berries shown at left, are NOT edible. Both the fruit and leaves of this plant are extremely toxic. Consumption of fewer than five of these berries can be lethal to children. It’s best not to eat any wild berries that grow in a similar oblong (as opposed to spherical) shape. These nightshade plants are numerous along the edges of the salt marsh trail and can be identified by their purple flowers during the summer months.
To commemorate Earth Day 2009, I thought I’d design a couple of quilts using earth colors. Real earth colors. I created a palette using photographs I’ve taken in my yard over the past six months, made squares and then arranged the squares into a quilt pattern. I decided on a Double Irish Chain pattern, as the Irish were among the first Europeans to settle in Cow Bay.
For my second quilt I made use of colors found in photos of trees and leaves: Inner Birch Bark, Spruce Green, Balsam Green, Ivy Red and Sapling Bark. The white is an authentic ‘Snow White.’
“Some things you must guard with care:
Rowanberries make a light red jelly with a sharp flavour that goes beautifully with venison or game, as well as with lamb and pork. You can make the jelly with green cooking apples, but crab apples give the best flavour.
