Fallen Friends

Their arrival was expected but the actual day was as always a surprise.

One spring day the trees were bare, and then seemingly out of nowhere they were covered in leaves. First there was a sprinkling of small buds than the branches were covered to the point that the leaves appeared to be suspended in mid-air.

Through out the spring and summer we came to know them as friends and companions. On warms days their shade kept our houses cool and the air fresh. Their rustling at night provided soothing natural music lulling us to sleep.

When summer storms brought wind and rain our friends provided a natural umbrella where we could sit through the storm watching the rain dance and listening hopefully for the distant sound of thunder precursor to the excitement of lightening igniting the cloud filled sky.

Soon signs appear in the trees that summer is waning and autumn will soon bring crispness to the air. Thoughts of apple pies and jack-o-lanterns occupy our minds as Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner.

Fall colors begin to dominate the skyline. Bright reds and oranges with touches of yellow have changed the palette of the leaves. Before long leaves begin to drift gently to the ground and bare branches reach once again for the sky.

Thank you my fallen friends for the peace and warmth you brought us through out the seasons of your short life. Thank you for the joy of spring, the shade of summer and the piles of leaves each fall that are just perfect for jumping in rather one is eight or eighty.