12 Comments
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Sunil Iyengar's avatar

“Then comes that other fall we name the fall.”

Paul Drexler's avatar

“Diminished thing” in many ways.

Hans Carlson's avatar

Henry, you really need to go West! "The West is to the East as ten to ten." Both great parts of the country. Reading about the eastern part of the country as it is filtered through a mind that observes so carefully and writes so well makes me long for the same mind to travel the mountains and prairies and vast spaces of the Mountain West. Everyone would win, but you most of all.

"While here I stand, not only with the sense

Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts

That in this moment there is life and food

For future years..."

WW had it right.

Henry Oliver's avatar

Oh yes I can’t wait to go west a big ambition for me

Luigi Cappel's avatar

Great word pictures. It's cold and wet with winter coming in Auckland, NZ and I am missing summer already. Fall isn't so pretty where I live, in our suburbs, and while I have a third of an acre still, most of the houses around me have been replaced with what we call townhouses, which look a lot like places where some of my family live in Holland. All tacked on to each other, mostly small, with next to no land, no grass, no trees. But within 10 minutes walk, I have an awesome beach, nature reserve, park and bush, so it isn't all bad. My favorite fall location is the Finger Lakes. Flying into Ithaca NY at fall is magnificent.

lindamc's avatar

Spring in DC is splendid, that and Rock Creek Park are top reasons I live here.

About 15 years ago I was wading through a pile of archival photos for a freelance project and I came across an image of the park shortly after it was developed (it was among the first US National Parks). The trees were saplings! Now they tower over the bridge around the corner from my building.

Henry Oliver's avatar

I love those trees

Martin Hayden's avatar

Vivid scene-painting. Go steady on the 'poetic' though (first paragraph!) . I thought the 'wrong turn' was going to take you into a suburb best not gone into...

V Vamsi Viraj's avatar

Such a lyrical description! Makes me wish you were resident in a small town in South India, near one of its mighty rivers, just so you could write a similar intro.

Sally Schott's avatar

You topped off your own word pictures with that photograph. Nicely executed.

E Daggar Art's avatar

Beautiful rendition of your observations, Henry.