The Fall to Winter Metamorphosis

The sounds and images of fall transitioning into winter always enchant me. There is a point in time when you can just feel the last moments of fall slipping away.

The leaves are crisp and blanket the forest floor.

The nuts have fallen, giving way to crunchy footsteps and allowing us nature buffs to collect new specimens.

The woodland creatures scurry with a little more intensity, storing away every morsel they can before it’s too late.

And the wind whistles in the tall trees, announcing the exit of fall and the upcoming entrance of winter.

Some see fall as a time for dying. Trees, flowers, and landscapes turn colors and settle on the monotonous brown and gray tones. If you aren’t looking for the wonder amid the cycle, you will miss the amazing parts.

The part when the leaves finish their duty of feeding the trees, falling off and whirling to the ground to become part of it. The part where flowers dry up and drop their seed, scattering for overwintering, ensuring the survival of their species. The part when birds of the air and creatures on the ground scurry and fly, preparing for a cozy winter inside.

The cycle changes from fall to winter prepare the earth for freezing and thawing- a much-needed cycle of life since the dawn of creation.

One day the leaves won’t look so spectacular. They will turn to compost and feed and cover the forest floor. Food will be scarce for foraging, as it decays and becomes part of the earth. These changes usher in the frigid blasts of winter.

Cool mornings turn to frigid beginnings. Rain slowly becomes snow and ice. The forest is transformed from a virtual rainbow of color to a showstopping crystal palace.

Ice forms on the trees and plants, reflecting from the snow covering the ground. Everything is clean and white and fresh. New powder falls from the sky, making everything around you seem untouched.

It’s a new beginning, winter.

A new start. Clean and beautiful, preparing the way for green shoots of regrowth and the birth of spring.

Fall and the dismal moments in the in-between time are forgotten as we prepare for something new again.