Decaying Leaves

All it takes is a little rain and then, like a bowl of cereal, the autumn leaves go from crispy to sodden. Nature takes over, adding darker, earthier colors to the mix. To me, this has its own charms. It still looks like the aftermath of a confetti-strewn party, but now I see the future, as the leaves begin their transformation into good loamy earth. Those bright yellows will return some future autumn, a new generation of leaves nourished by their elders. 

Red Chrysanthemums

Most of the summer flowers have bloomed themselves into a state of exhaustion. Now the chrysanthemums take over. I’ve learned to appreciate them in all their autumn-tinged variety. They show up as carefully spaced mounds edging sidewalks or as new tenants on porches, inhabiting pots where the summer inhabitants have been evicted. My favorites are the taller, rangier ones that return each autumn to the same corners of neighborhood gardens. These red ones greet me on my walks, poking their heads through the fence---irregular circles contrasting with the orderliness of the white pickets. They will offer color and cheer until the weather gets to them too. But I can always count on them showing up again next autumn. 

Art Truck

The piece of paper showing in the front window on driver's side said "I AM AN ARTIST. BOOTH 117 E"  The local art fair give those home-made-looking parking passes to the vendors. It might be necessary for your basic Subaru van, but no one could possibly mistake this vehicle’s owner as anything other than an artist. It's a mobile art show, inciting wonder and amusement everywhere it goes. Heck, I'd be happy to have this vehicle parked on my street any time.

Street Grate In Nancy, France

We will see a lot of falling leaves over the next two months. Their colors are lovely but what about the gutters they fall into?  In Nancy, even the metal grates set into the edges of the streets have an art nouveau flair. Someone took a little extra time and care to make these humble street fixtures fit into the design aesthetic of the city where French Art Nouveau was born. Now, when the leaves fall, they form an accidentally beautiful composition. The unexpected pleasures of good design can be found anywhere. Just keep looking.