Post inspired by Booky McBookerson’s latest.
A common lament of Floridians, heard by transplants more than the natives but we natives whine about it too, is the lack of discernible seasons. The primary complaint is that down here, fall is nonexistent. It’s hot -or warm- and then it’s cold. By cold I mean what the those of you north of Savannah, GA would consider cool weather. When the high is 65 here, most women take that as a cue to break out the boots.
The leaves don’t change, and there isn’t anything besides school and football that gives any indication that we’re changing course. Yesterday however, amidst what were mostly fully green oak trees, I saw a few trees with golden leaves. I believe they are properly categorized as golden rain trees, but I might be mistaken, as golden rain trees usually turn pink before they turn gold. I walk this path enough that I would have noticed in these trees ever had pink leaves. Either way, they were beautiful, and the first evidence of actual fall weather. Right around the time the rest of the country is getting excited about their first snow storms, I was snapping this photo:
It’s about time for a break. I am overdue for a couple of weeks to mentally reset, and Thanksgiving seems as good a time as any. The desire hit me quite hard yesterday as I looked up at these beautiful golden trees.
The world is in many respects gone mad but we don’t have to go mad with it. We can choose instead to meditate on the lovely, and give thanks.
“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” ~ Harry Ironside
One of my favorite Thanksgiving passages; because it reminds me that the things to be most thankful for are the things not tangible, those that fill the soul and warm the heart:
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things. ~Psalm 107:8-9
Reading in Between the Life... 
The world is in many respects gone mad but we don’t have to go mad with it.
Indeed. I wrote over 1000 words yesterday that began with a similar sentiment.
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I’m with Booky McBookerson. Was gonna remark on exactly that phrase, but will simply agree that it’s worth pondering. 🙂
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Oh, and the trees are indeed lovely. We don’t have anything like that around here.
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Below 65? Oh my goodness, I’d better send some sweaters and a Mackinaw down to you! And few tuques, mittens, wool unionsuits….. yashure, ya better make fun of me next August when I’m whining about it hitting 90 up here. :^)
Seriously, love the pictures…I wasn’t aware that any trees had fall colors down your way. Leaves have almost all fallen up here, and we might get snow tonight.
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I’m not sure that we’re planning on holding winter this year. It has gotten cooler of a night – I wore a tshirt to the gym rather than a tank Thurs – but it’s low 70s in the day. Perfectly normal not-weather. I’m complaining because we keep switching from dry to normal, which means the smog is drifting happily back and forth… and I’m allergic to smog.
That is a beautiful tree, and ITA about not going mad along with the world.
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