Dappled Shade

I'm a bit of a naturalist, sort of. What I am not is any representation of that word which conjours thoughts of science. I am 100% not a scientist and have never claimed any such thing.

With my disclaimers out of the way, I can safely share my love of experiencing nature. Autumn is my favorite season, absolutely: the majestic colors of foliage, the slight chill outside that makes my hands long to hold wooden knitting needles and alpaca yarn, the gray blanket of sky that makes all colors extra vibrant, and golden beams of strong sun that hit a lone tree like a great spotlight setting it apart... and then the fact that all of this comes and goes within the span of about two weeks. It seems terribly unfair to me, every year. This magnificent beauty that is so short-lived... I never feel as though I've adequately drunk it all in. As far as I'm concerned this is one season that never wears out its welcome (okay, some can argue the same for spring; but this is my blog).

I thought about this a few days ago when I took Rosie, my bad dog whom I love (again) out for a walk/run. This was a stupid idea. It was 10:30 am and 92 degrees already, but I was feeling terribly sorry for my bad dog who desperately needed exercise and is much worse without it. I was sweating like a pig (which, by the way, is an interesting expression. Do pigs sweat? Andrea, could you answer that one for me? Why not say "lathering like a horse"...) Anyway, we were both sweltering. There was no escape from the beating, unrelenting sun. The sun was at just such an angle so as to avoid giving us any shade whatsoever along our route... until one point. Right as Rosie and I rounded the last curve of the arboretum, there it was.

About twenty feet of the most beautiful dappled shade I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating either. Intent upon beating the sun and sticking to my goal, we had kept up a good clip the whole way. As I entered the shade, I was so stunned by it that I made Rosie stop so we could just stand there and experience it. Within that little oasis, my whole perspective changed. I felt I could have spent the whole day right there. I looked at the variety of wildflowers around me, heard birds I had barely noticed before, actually felt a gentle, cooling breeze and contemplated.

Have I walked through dappled shade before? Yes, of course, but I couldn't remember a time when I had needed it so badly and found it so unexpectedly. I couldn't remember ever appreciating it so much. I took a moment to thank God for His blessings all around me all the time calling for me to appreciate them- to see the beauty they reflect of their Creator.

Autumn wouldn't be to me what it is if I expected it to wear out its welcome. The whole nature of its magical lure is in its Divine brevity. No, I'm not a scientist. I'm a nature-lover who would prefer to keep it all a mystery (although home schooling is blowing that a bit for me) and allow it to draw me a little closer to my Creator.