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| Albert Bierstadt - "Indian Summer on the Hudson River" |
Leaning to Amber
By Judith Cullen
© 2014
It started two nights ago. The vibrant, pulsing world of
summer is beginning to tilt slightly.
Its dominant hue is shifting from bright green of the triumphal sun
shining through the leaves that spring worked so diligently to bring to life.
Now, everything is beginning to take a slight amber tinge, and in about four to
six weeks the world will be glowing in the bronzes and coppers of autumn.
The first signs come with the sunset. After celebrant weeks
of being so pleased with itself in high summer that it joyously cannot help but
heat the night as well as the day, the sun decides to finally give it a rest.
The waning light brings breezes and cool air. I change my cotton blanket for my
favorite fleece again. Daytime
temperatures will still be climbing to sweat-worthy highs, but the nights sink into
the 50s and, for many, sleep deepens with the promise of satisfying
hibernations to come. Soon enough, it
will be outright cold all the time.
