Worth a Second Look...

Does this tree look familiar...it's been a few weeks, but originally I snagged a picture of this tree in early November when just one corner's leaves had turned red. Four weeks later every leaf had been set ablaze with the most striking color of Fall. Every day that I passed this tree I stopped for a second to admire its beauty. As the season draws to a close, and the red of leaves are replaced by the red of Christmas decorations, I wanted to share one last "seasonal sight" - and smell!

Have you ever noticed that there is a certain smell to Fall? Whenever I walk by a tree like this one, or a pile of leaves on the ground, there is a certain earthy fragrance in the air. As leaves start to change and fall away for the winter they must emit a certain scent. It's that crisp smell that reminds me of a cool October afternoon; or huddling up on the bleachers to watch a football game; or walking through a pumpkin patch searching for the ideal pallet for a seasonal creation! Whenever I drove by this tree I enjoyed a wisp of that once-a-year fragrance.

Amazingly, in just a few days since I took this picture all of the leaves have fallen to the ground. Most of the Fall colors now brighten up the street corners instead of tree branches, as the leaves have been piled up for garbage pick-up. The neighborhoods have started to take on the appearance of winter: empty flower beds where the mums used sit and bare tree branches waiting for the new buds to blossom come Springtime! At first the sight is bittersweet but then I realize it is a necessary part of nature. Each Maple or Elm that lines the city streets has shared its beauty for the year and is simply making room for another part of nature. Without the bare branches how could anyone ever enjoy the serene beauty of a tree catching snow during an early December storm; or appreciate the return of color in April after months of snow and rain? The sights, sounds, and smells of Fall might be over, but now we have the opportunity to start over again with winter - for those of you who enjoy cold weather and snow!

If you are not a fan of the cold weather keep the image of this fiery red tree with you all winter...maybe its red leaves will help warm you up on the frigid days!

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

A Place to Relax...

A few weeks ago, when I shared a picture of some Fall leaves, I mentioned the sights and sounds of the season. I said how Fall is such a fantastic time of year that can bring so many senses to life. Since I already shared one of the "sights" I figured it would be good to share one of the "sounds".

Even without a calendar I can tell that Fall is approaching when I hear the sound of Canadian Geese flying over my neighborhood. Throughout the course of three months hundreds of geese fly south in search of a warmer climate, and my town must be in their direct flight path! In a strange way, it wouldn't feel like Fall without the sound of these geese flying overhead. If I happen to hear a lone bird at some other time during the year I have to stop and think for a second what day of the year it is...my mind immediately thinks about the colorful days of autumn. These animals have become as much of a staple in my life as the changing leaves and pumpkin seeds!

During the day, several flocks are guaranteed to stop for a short time at a local pond. You might have to look closely, but lined up across the center of the pond (they couldn't make it easier to snap a picture by being closer to the edge) are about twenty geese. I often wonder why they seem to congregate in this particular area: proximity to a body of water; lots of open, grassy areas; maybe a good source of food. As I said, this does not happen occasionally since these geese cover this area everyday of the week with a sea of black and tan feathers.

Does anyone know much about geese? What makes them "layover" in certain areas? While I'm posing a question, I have always wondered this: if these birds are native to Canada (which I'm assuming they are based upon the name) why do they have to travel south for the winter? Shouldn't they be used to cold weather and be satisfied staying in the north? Perhaps it's all relative...they travel to someplace that is warm for them, but for other birds would be considered cold.


What are some sights or sounds that remind you of Fall?

Are they unique to the area in which you live?

Is there anything else that reminds you of a specific season?


If the season was longer we could talk about the many smells of Fall...who knows, maybe there is time!

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

A Little Late in the Season...

In spite of the fast-approaching winter season, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to share something I found the other day when traveling near the shore. On a normal day I would be anxious to sit and relax on the beach, but not this particular day when the wind was blowing and the temperature was hovering around 40 degrees. I pulled over for not even five minutes just to take a quick look at the water and experience the Atlantic coast in complete silence - any longer and I think I would have froze.

All along the road were sets of stairs that led over the dike to the beach and water. In front of each staircase was a small gravel parking lot. As I pulled off into one of the tiny lots I noticed "No Parking" signs. I said to myself, "I won't be here very long and besides, this is not the middle of summer with thousands of people swarming around so it shouldn't be a problem." I started to walk up the stairs but suddenly stopped at the sight of a "Private Property" sign! This staircase was private property? These "private" steps led to a large deck set atop the dike, just before the rocks dropped off to a narrow beach. For a brief minute I enjoyed an unobstructed view of the Atlantic then headed back to my car before I caused a stir. I could envision someone running out of the house across the street claiming I was trespassing.

As I started to drive away I thought to myself, "how cool would that be to own a private deck right on the beach?" The owners of this beach-front perch had a fantastic view of the water and plenty of room to entertain a small group of people. Most likely, as I said, the property belonged to one of the residents that lived across the street, making this find even better! I would love to be able to wake up on a summer morning, walk across the street and sit on my deck over looking the beach. What makes this thought even more appealing is knowing that some loud, annoying group of people wouldn't be parking themselves next to me within thirty minutes of sitting down. As far as I could tell, the only thing on this beach was these private steps/decks so most likely the craziness should kept to a minimum.

With the wind pushing my car around the right lane, I continued driving up the shore and thinking about a warm summer day at the beach....and how much fun it would be on my own private beach! I wonder what a person has to do to "own" part of a beach...hopefully someday I'll find out!

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

A Strong Finish...

Fall is such a colorful and mesmerizing time of year. I love traveling down the highway towards a blanket of red, yellow, and orange leaves; or going for a walk on a crisp afternoon across a sea of fallen leaves that crunch under my feet. One afternoon I spotted this tree and couldn't pass by without taking a picture. This tree is just a small example of the large-scale beauty that is seen throughout Fall.

I am always amazed by the brilliant colors of this time of year but even more so when I see a tree like this one. Every once in awhile I see a tree where only one portion of the leaves have changed, making for an exciting sight. I wish I knew what caused this to happen...maybe it's due to sunlight or water - or lack thereof. I can't even say that the red leaves were scattered throughout several other branches because they were not; there was not one red leaf anywhere else on the tree except the one branch pictured.

I can stand and stare at a tree like this for hours. The striking colors are such a compliment to a blue, Fall sky. Year after year I go through the summer wondering how all of these boring, green leaves can suddenly be set ablaze during September and October, changing an entire landscape. Instead of blending in with its surroundings, these bright trees become the center of attention. People travel for hundreds of miles to witness a marvel of nature. (The travel part is definitely true since I recently met a family from Arkansas who traveled to the northeast to see the changing leaves.) Once people have seen such an array of color they want to capture it forever...how often have you seen someone along the side of the road collecting leaves? You may have seen me. I have pulled over my car or hopped off my bicycle many times because I spotted a small patch of color that I wanted to carry home with me. After much care and concern, I am able to preserve this "pallet" of red, orange, and brown for years to come.

Although I love summertime and warm weather there is something to be said about the Fall: there is plenty of excitement for all of your senses (the smell of a freshly carved pumpkin or the sound of crunching leaves) but most especially your sense of sight! Just before the leaves fall from their branches they provide quite a show. Some may say that nature has saved the best for last.

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

I Always Heard About it...

Did you have a tree house when you were little? I never did but of course always heard about them. I don't think I would have really wanted one anyway because I would have been too afraid to climb that high up a tree! Now that I think about it, none of my friends had one either. Tree houses were things that children in movies and television shows had in their backyard, not the boy that lived down the street who I knew from the bus stop.

This particular tree house as been around for years and I pass it nearly everyday. I am always amazed how big it is, yet appears to sit very sturdily amongst the branches - with a little help from the pillars, of course! This children's playground is almost the size of some apartments I have seen. Living would be cramped, but at least you would have some nice views.

The funny thing is that in all of the years I have passed by this tree house I have never once seen anyone actually playing in or around it. I wonder if the children who used to hang out the windows or swing from the poles have long since grown up and moved away...or maybe it was built with the hope of someone laughing for hours while sitting on the balcony, only to find the person had lost interest by the time the project was finished. Maybe the project was never finished...I have never been able to get close enough so I can't truly tell whether or not "construction" has officially ended.

Occasionally I think, "Maybe it would have been fun to have a tree house growing up" since it is known to be a staple of youth. Maybe I would have enjoyed climbing the tree and hanging out in a private fort that was designed by my friends and I...all of the kids on TV seemed to have fun when they played in tree houses! How could they be so iconic of youth yet no one I knew ever had one...they had sandboxes but never tree houses; swings that took us soaring towards the sky and slides that brought us racing back to the ground but never a tree house.

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that there were many children just like me...they were a little skeptical of a structure built into the trunk of a tree that would sway when a strong gust of wind blew by. With that in mind, I don't feel as though I missed out on anything during my childhood. I will just enjoy the view of this tree house, instead, as I pass by daily in my own pursuit of enjoyment!

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

Timing is Everything...

I would like to say upfront this was probably not the smartest way to take a picture but I could not resist. Yes, you are figuring correctly, I took this picture while driving down the highway...definitely not something to try on your own. The opportunity arose and I knew the picture would be too cool to pass up.

I happen to be entering the highway and this van, looking like a leftover from the 60's, went crawling past me. All I saw were the big letters on the back saying "Be Happy". The minute I saw this van I said, "I need a picture of that!" Had the driver not been going at least 10mph below the speed limit there is no way I would have been able to catch up to him. Once I saw this retro vehicle a smile immediately appeared on my face.

Prior to beginning my commute the day had been less than thrilling...all kinds of stress coming from all different directions. I tried finding some relief by listening to the radio, but had very little success; then the "Happy Van" passed me. Suddenly I forget about my prior stress and was totally focused on catching a closer look at what was plastered all over the sides of the van - and of course I had to sneak a peak at the driver, which turned out to be a man in his late sixties with a female passenger...both of whom could have lived through the love-fest of the 1960's. Once I was close enough I found, aside from "Be Happy" on the back, bright, florescent flowers accenting the sides. Part of my enjoyment came from the fact that one does not expect this type of vehicle to pass by on the highway. I love surprises and outrageous sites during the day and this certainly classifies as one.

Of course, there is always the obvious joy: when a stranger encourages you to be happy how can you really resist. For me, those simple words were a reminder that no matter what is going on happiness in not far off in the future. I started wondering if this couple spends their time traveling around spreading good cheer from their perch in an old VW Van.

What else could make someone decorate their car in such a colorful, enthusiastic manner?

Did they know how many smiles they added to the world and how many people they helped everyday?

Once the VW Van faded from sight in my rear-view mirror the stress slowly started to return, but fortunately not completely. I wish I was able to tell that couple how, for a few brief minutes on my way to a shoot, their silent encouragement lifted my spirits. Something so simple and unexpected, yet it helped change the course of my day...

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?

Don't Rule Anything Out...

You may be wondering about the focal point of this picture. I assure you, the photo was taken far away on purpose. Although, in my effort to be discreet (sometimes I have to take a picture and run before being noticed) and capture the entire setting, I may have been a little too far away. Nevertheless, I wanted to capture this quaint, mobile-home community nestled along the edge of this forrest...a what..."mobile-home community" - better known as a trailer park!

I will admit, I always had a certain image of mobile homes and the people that lived in them, as do most Americans; but after passing this community my opinion changed. Look at this beautiful setting! Who wouldn't enjoy walking out the front door every morning to a peaceful neighborhood like this one? Even though I was only there for a few minutes I just got the feeling that the neighbors all got along and there wasn't anyone who played loud music or ran power tools at 7:30 on a Saturday morning!

When I thought "trailer park" I used to picture the old metal buildings with the plastic awning over the front door. The houses I captured in this picture were totally different. Many of them looked like "regular" homes built from the foundation up. They have landscaped yards, areas to park their cars, and sheds to keep their lawnmowers - just like any house in suburban America.

Pardon me if this all sounds like ignorance, but I have never passed a set of mobile homes where I said, "Huh, I could actually live here...". Chances are I still wouldn't because the house would be too small for me but at least my reluctance doesn't come from any longstanding stereotype. This community almost had the feeling of a vacation getaway: rolling green fields, quiet streets, birds chirping - what more could you want?

Isn't this the kind of neighborhood in which everyone wants to have a home and live out the American Dream?

When have you suddenly taken a second look and totally blasted away any preconceived notions about something?

Perhaps catching something in the spur of the moment does really give you an unbiased view.

That's the Golden Perspective...what's yours?