The trees have put on their fall garments in southern Appalachia. I first noticed the color on my trip to Knoxville last weekend.
Yesterday the sky was a beautiful blue and the tree color was stunning in Brasstown. As I made my way to the post office and back I could barely keep my eyes on the road. Everywhere I looked those lovely fall garments stood out brightly as though they were electrified.
In the backyard the beauty of the colorful leaves stands out starkly against the dying vegetation of the garden and surrounding weeds.
This summer has been so very dry I didn’t expect there to be much fall color. I’m not saying this is the most beautiful fall leaves I’ve ever seen but they sure are pretty to look at.
We got over nine inches of rain the week Helene tore its way over western NC and east TN but we haven’t had any since then. It is terribly dry again.
The last time I looked at the drought monitor it showed Cherokee County in the moderately dry area. Now it doesn’t show us dry at all. I suppose all the rain we got from Helene changed the parameters, but we sure could use some rain.
Even though we need it, I am happy to do without the rain so that the folks trying salvage their lives from the damage of Helen have one less thing to worry about. Please continue to pray for them and to all giving aid.
Last night’s video: The Thread That Runs So True 25.
Tipper
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I needed this today, been so busy lately needed to be reminded to stop and look out. Thanks, Tipper 🙂
7:45 PM here and it’s raining. I hear thunder in the distance! Did you get any earlier?
Ed-only a sprinkle 🙂
It’s dry in Virginia again, as well, but the colors have been stunning this year. The reds are especially vibrant, and the sun shining through them in the evenings is spectacular. It’s hard to know what to pray for; we do need rain, but the folks trying to clean up from Helene probably won’t want to see rain for some time yet.
what beautiful, vibrant colors!
We haven’t had much rain here lately. It did a little but last night. The colors here on the trees are fernolmal. Fall is definitely my favorite time of year.
Tipper…read this and thought I would share since it is about this season. Hope you enjoy: QUOTE: “Autumn is easily my favorite time of the year. The days have cooled down, the leaves have turned, and the world is busy preparing herself for winter.
There’s something magical about the clear brisk days, the first smell of the woodstove or the fireplace, the first frost, the sounds of the Canadian geese overhead as they pass through on their way south, the canning of the late fruits and vegetables, the pumpkin and cider stands on the roadways. School has started, and there’s newness in the air, even though the season is the
precursor to winter. Somehow, the world knows that winter is necessary, and the long preparation for the cold of winter–the preparation which is autumn–is a beautiful, necessary part of the world.”
~Unknown UNQUOTE
Wanita-beautiful!
A beautiful picture Tipper. The colors of fall are always so special and I look forward each year to how ‘she’ will ‘dress’ each year, and this year we were in the midst of getting some wonderful colors, then a strong and gusty wind came through and pretty much tore all the ‘clothes’ off the trees, leaving only a few hanging on. My heart and prayers remain with those still picking up the pieces of their lives after Helene. May the rains stay away and it not get too cold for those still with no warm shelter. And to Randy – prayers for you too. I can understand such a loss as it is going onto 5 years since my beloved husband died and it is so very hard to finish ‘our’ journey alone. I treasure each memory.
I always enjoy looking at the changing of the leaves. The colors are so beautiful but we also need some rain. Fall has always been my favorite season of the year.
I feel just the same way on my drive to work in the mornings. As the sun comes up through the leaves, I can hardly concentrate on driving. I love God’s reminders of seasons, whether physical, spiritual or emotional. Woke up to light rain today in East TN. Just enough to soak in but not so much as to create a problem for clean up efforts. Another blessing.
Yes, we are continuing to pray for the families devastated by the hurricane. I read where one family lost 11 members in the landslides and floods. It just broke my heart.
My sister and I plan to go to eastern Kentucky in a few days to see the color of the beautiful mountains, which are surely the eighth wonder of the world. Today is a gloomy day, and the sun will not light up the trees the way it did yesterday, making them look like they were on fire. As mom would have said, they were so bright they would hurt your eyes.
I loved the video of you going to Knoxville…the scenery was outstanding and I enjoyed the ride.So glad you took us along!
The leaves are starting to turn in Richmond, Virginia. We are way behind on rainfall for the month. We had a couple of windy days last week with a fire warning because it is so dry.
To the gentlemen who have lost their precious right hand, mate and best friends, I cannot imagine how you are feeling. My husband will be 84, his next birthday, is showing signs that age brings. So am I, at 77. He is, always will be the most important part of my life. I’m grateful to God for our having lived our last, almost 58 year’s, together. Ups and downs occurred, because that is life, but the thought of losing him is always lingering in the back of my mind. I am saying a prayer for y’all that God will give you a quiet peace and contentment for the time y’all had with the love’s of your life, the thought that someday y’all will be together again in the afterlife that will be the most beautiful, loving and forever together, never to be separated from each other, through eternity time. Stay strong enjoy the memories and give thanks for having each other the 40 and 50 years God gave you together, as I try and remember too of my mate. Thank you Lord, always. God bless y’all and everyone today, tomorrow, always.
The leaves are changing, and some have fell off the trees here in southern Virginia. There’s a field in back of our house and along the sides that have beautiful red, yellow, gold and purple leaves. We need a little rain too. We haven’t had any for about a month. Our churches are still collecting needful things for those afflicted by Helene and make a trip there about every week. Prayers continue for the poor souls affected.
God bless those people are still suffering from the storm, I’ve prayed and prayef and prayed, God help God help God help, we’ve got just a little color in leaves here, but it’s not lasting long, turning brown and falling to the ground, God bless you friends, don’t forget to pray for the people still suffering, maybe when my check comes I can make another donation to Samaritan’s purse,
We watched a dark gray sky roll right over us without a drop while we visited my in laws in Kentucky yesterday. My mother in law commented that it looked to be heading our way about 45 min north east of them and she was right. Everything looked good and soaked when we got home later in the evening. But we aren’t getting much here either.
The leaves, what’s left of them, are spectacular here this year too. After Helene’s reign of terror I had expected a drab finish to the year but almost the opposite is the case. The sun seems to be able to penetrate through the canopy and backlight leaves that endured the storm, producing color effects I have never noticed before.
In the right amounts rain can be and is, so beneficial. But as seen of late, in torrents it can be devastating. Continuing to pray for all those impacted by the floods and those rendering aid.
I think the two “big rains” we got in October saved the beautiful foliage from dying and falling off from lack of water. We are now starting to see now the beautiful colors at my home here in northwest AL. I have been camping on top of Cheaha Mountain (highest point in AL) this past week and it was gorgeous. The drive home was pleasing to the eyes too. I imagine towards the end of next week, we’ll see the fall colors in their full glory.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
Pslams 19:1
I meant to include this she was 16 and I was 17 when we started dating or going together as it was called back then, two and a half years later we married when she was 19 and I was 20 years old. I was about 17 months older than she was but only one grade year difference in school.
The leaves have not changed color very much in my neck of the woods. It is very dry here too, not a drop of rain in the last 4 weeks and a very small chance predicted for the coming week. It is a blessing for the ones that lost their homes or had them damaged due to the hurricane.
If my wife had lived, today would be our 50th wedding anniversary. We did not have money for much of a honeymoon. We just spent a night in Greenville and went up to the Chimney Rock area that has now been destroyed by the Hurricane. This area has always been special to me. In later years we liked to go and spend a couple of days at this time of the year in the Burnsville, Spruce Pine area for our anniversary. I would usually be sure and go to the original Mast General Store. The leaves would have changed color and be beautiful. I had wanted to make this year’s anniversary special for my wife, but now all I can do is go sit at her grave and have memories of the special lady and wife she was. She was my one and only, there will never be another lady in my life. In my mind I had the best with her. Please say a little pray for me today, living without her is very hard.
Randy-I’m so sorry she’s not here with you. I will pray for you.
Good morning, Randy. Every time you write about your precious wife, my heart understands. My one and only passed on to a glorious life 13 years ago, and I still miss his presence so much. This October would have been our 40th. I try to honor our lives together by being thankful for the time we had; and it is so very hard some days to keep a cheerful mindset, but on those days I try especially hard to focus on the joys God gave us. Many prayers for you. And me, too, please 🙂
Randy- get out and do something for someone today! Grief turns into joy!
Brenda, I can’t say I did anything for someone one today but I went to a funeral this afternoon. It was for a lady that was like family to me and my wife. This lady and her husband were the owners of C&K grocery and hardware. The “Store” to most of us. This was the last of the old time country/general stores in my neck of the woods. This store had been a part of my life for more than 60 years. I grew up and went to school with their children. Our community loved the owners and the store. I went to her home yesterday and visited with her children for about 2 hours, we talked about our memories of the past not only of the store but of me and my wife and our family but also of our parents. I know it was a joy for me and I think it was for them. Her children all came to me and told me they were glad I came to her funeral, they knew it was a hard day for me. The children of the community would go to the store on their birthday or Halloween, they knew Mrs. Earlene would give them a candy bar.
I did go and sit by my wife’s grave for several hours this morning. Someone else mentioned knowing we will be together again for eternity is a joy, but because we are human living without them until then is hard. My wife, Janice was the heart and soul of our family. A classmate of hers told me yesterday Janice was one of the sweetest girls he ever knew in school.
Randy, I can’t imagine what you are going through today, but I know without a doubt how much you loved your wife. I’ve been on here long enough that when you mention her, I can tell the love you both had for each other. I have been married to my husband 48 years and like I have said before, we also met in church. We started going together in 1972 and married in 1976. I know the day will come when one of us will not be here. I will say a special prayer for you today.
Gloria, I may have wrote this before, I love to tease, I would often tease her and tell her God punished me for looking at girls and not listening to the sermon on that Sunday night in January of 1972. I would also tease her and would tell she had better be good to me, she wouldn’t find another like me. Her answer to me was if I ever get rid of you, I pray I will never find another like you! I THINK she was teasing too.
Randy, focus on the good years and all the memories.
I’m sure she would tell you to quit pining and find something that will allow you to live without her presence, not grieving here loss all the time. You will always feel the pain, but you can lessen it if you distract yourself.