Autumn’s First Full Day

Things are starting to change- again. It’s nice to live where we can enjoy four distinct seasons, and also what I call sub-seasons–you know, the transitional days where one is beginning to fade and the replacement hasn’t arrived in full force. With that in mind, we spent a few minutes in our yard and took a very short drive. How about some examples of everyday living around our place on the first full calendar day of Autumn 2014…

“If I had a day that I could give you, I’d give to you a day just like today…”
“Sunshine on My Shoulders“, John Denver

This water oak in our yard is beginning to show some real signs of old age with a few more dead limbs each year. It’s been around a lot more years than I have but still produces hundreds of acorns. The local deer herd loves this tree! I guess we could name it “Gnarly” because of all the roots.

Our nearest neighbor has a serious flag pole and we enjoy seeing “Old Glory” flying every day as we pass by. The sky seemed to have a little “extra blue” as a backdrop on this first day of fall.

The southern end of the Appalachians are right out front as we look north. The mountain doesn’t reveal a lot of change just yet, but autumn colors are not too many days away!

Turkeytown Creek– The main attraction of Turkey Beach and Resort. We cross the creek almost every day and I’m reminded of days back in the 60’s when we might slide into the water at this very spot and really cool down. I mean- this water is freezing in mid-July!

Turkeytown is named for Chief Turkey. Yes, it’s a real place named after a real person!

The last full moon was considered the “Harvest Moon”. I understand this is the name given the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox (which occurred yesterday). A soybean field begins to turn and will soon be ready to harvest. The mountain in the background is actually in the next county.

The fields are almost “white unto harvest” but it is a little early for cotton. I can remember when a first cousin of mine got out of school for 2 weeks in October for “cotton pickin’ “. He lived in Cherokee County Alabama and we lived in adjacent Etowah County (still do). Etowah didn’t observe cotton pickin’. Nothin’ fair about that! This cotton is near our house in Etowah County. Modern machinery did away with getting out of school but I think everybody gets a Fall Break of some sort!

It was great to watch the guys in action today in the nearby corn fields. They were getting it done in a big way. Nothing runs like a Deere! A common September sight around here.

Right down the road we find a crop that is not quite so commonplace. Beautiful grapes are doing well at a local vineyard. And no, these are not muscadine or scuppernong vines. We understand the vines here were brought in from Napa. (California, not auto parts). Wow!

This may be one of the best unobstructed views of the Coosa River. This is one place where we can look straight down the middle of the river from a high vantage point and also have the Appalachians’ Lookout Mountain standing tall behind the scene. We didn’t make this photo from a helicopter and it is advisable to take care when taking photos from this spot!

Yellow is dominant right now and the goldenrod is king and queen of the countryside.

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
John 4:35

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