After months of unseasonably warm temperatures and drought, Thursday the chill and rain came, causing one local meteorologist to write, “Finally, Fall!”.

Yesterday we drove down to Dartmouth College for a conference. Although the drive was wet, and took longer than we had planned, we enjoyed the foliage, which at the lower elevations was brilliant, even in the soggy, dark conditions. Returning home, we noticed the rain had used our absence to strip the leaves from many trees. Impressive!

Here, near the lake, there is still a good deal of green, as well as patches of vibrant color, even following the heavy rain and still fierce wind. We shall have autumn for a few more days. Up in the mountains snow is falling for the first time this season.

We have turned on the heat. Last night we had autumn’s first fire in the wood stove.

On our work table in the studio stands the set for our new paper theatre play. It remains very much a work in progress. I’ve set up the video camera so we can explore animating the characters and set. For some reason I find myself hesitant to actually work on the production. I like set design but sometimes feel averse to the actual puppetry; for a long time it was the other way round.

My personal work space in the studio is surrounded by plants, making it a sort of green encased nook. When my laptop is on my desk, there is not a lot of space left to work. At the moment, the set and various design elements are scattered through the studio. At least they are no longer piled on my desk, so I can actually write.

For now, a Vivaldi flute concerto plays on the radio. Looking west towards the lake I note breaks of blue sky. The tree that fills the view for much of the summer is bare, save for a few bright red leaves attached to the lower branches. I am grateful for this life, this opportunity to witness, and be part of, the unfolding of Nature, and for Sunday morning.