October 28

As the leaf colors fade and fall to collect in the yards and roadways about town, the sere browns of tall grass and corn stubble stand out in the field. Lawns have begun to go dormant, bordered by woods where the dark vibrancy of summer has given way to bare branches and sunlight that filters to the ground.

October’s brilliance is changing to November’s muted tones.

There are still outliers in the woods: A maple that holds on to its golden leaves for no apparent reason when all around it have seen the change. Some lawns in town are yet inexplicably green, bordered by burning bush or viburnum that hold tightly to their auburn coat. Soon though, the predominant tones will be shades of brown and yellow and faded greens, amid Earthy scents of tannin which is broken by the fleeting odor of wood smoke from down the road. This will persist until the freeze takes hold, and then we will start to lose even our autumnal scents and colors as the snow approaches.