Nature's Red Carpet

This was written about a month ago as an example for an assignment for school.

Just thought I'd share it on the blog...

A couple of days ago, Tucker walked into my room to give me a beautiful maple leaf he had found on the way home from school. It was divided in half - one side a brilliant fire engine red and the other still kelly green. I haven’t seen anything like it - split down the middle in mid color change. Then yesterday while I was on a walk, Ilah joined me on her bike. She noticed an interesting leaf on the ground. It is a splotchy russet color, but almost fossil like is the imprint of a smaller green leaf on top outlined in yellow. Nature’s designers are amazing! Joplin is carpeted in a rainbow of leaves right now, and the trees are all dressed up in their Galliano or Valentino ready to walk that carpet.

Growing up I never got to watch the autumn ‘stars’ walk the crunchy, colorful carpet. Nope, we weren’t treated to the brilliant variety of leaf colors - the apricots, burnt siennas, various umbers, maroons, sepias, rusts, pears, ambers, persimmons, fire orange, pumpkins and vermilions. I guess that is why I had a hard time understanding why so many people loved fall. Sure I enjoyed trick-or-treating and Thanksgiving, but those were holidays. The actual season didn’t seem that great.


Now, though, as I feel that crispness in the air and notice the leaves losing their grip, I can’t help, but smile - because I know that the show will soon begin.

Our trees are bare now... Winter is on its way.