Boo!

As I take my morning walks and watch the autumn colors change daily, I can't help but make connections and ponder the metaphor for my own life.

There is a lovely Japanese maple in front of my parents' house that I look forward to watching every year as it changes into it's autumn coat of a blazing, radiant, red.  This year, however, it
merely turned brown and dropped it's leaves.  The beautiful green ash in the lane started to turn just as a storm showed up and the wind took most of the color with it.  The trees that are proven autumn performers just didn't seem to have it in them this year, yet, just as I'm feeling a little disappointed, I turn a corner and
a fiery glow of a maple I've never noticed before greets me.

I've always considered the life of a single leaf as a metaphor for a human lifetime.  Just as a human, when a leaf first appears, it is as lovely, shiny, and perfect as it can be.  With a little luck, it grows and matures into a strong, slightly less shiny, bigger and tougher leaf.  As the world throws it's stuff at it (as the world is fond of doing) it fends off disease, drought, inclement weather, nutritional deprivation and little bugs that try to suck the life out of it.  It begins to change.  It becomes world weary and begins to show the scars of daily life.  Then, with a little luck, it gives one last glorious show as it gasps it's dying breath.  Sometimes it's death is a lovely slow process.  Sometimes it is ripped unceremoniously from it's home and tossed away.

If a tree gets everything it needs at the right moments in it's life - sunshine, water, nutrients, temperature changes and length of day - it will give us a glorious, flaming autumn display.  If something is out of balance, it just may not have the energy or the will power to give the effort.  I wonder, if the less showy trees are able to appreciate the beauty of their outrageous neighbors?  Do they delight in the show and clap and shout "Bravo" in some secret tree way? Or do they shrivel with envy?
I am hopeful the the next year provides every one of you with the necessary ingredients to put on one heck of a show next October!

We're all feeling very scary at Rensel Studio.  Midge, Gidget, and Eddie are all putting on their scary faces to celebrate Halloween.  (Eddie hasn't shown.me his scary face yet.  He's still just adorable.  Maybe next year!)

And now that you're all scared to death...Here are some treats.