“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” – Lauren Destefano

This has been a beautiful week here in Tarboro. Quiet too. I have really enjoyed the quiet part, especially after so much flying and driving to Michigan and Florida and happily seeing all of our grandchildren.

The fall colors are captivating. Then the low angle of the sunlight illuminates the world in a way that brings out the golds and the yellows, scattering the shards of cool autumn light.

All over town explosions of color light up the trees – even in the untidy human services parking lot behind our house. A short walk in any direction turns out to be a visual feast.

Sometimes I feel as if creation is speaking to us – shouting even, passing on a reminder from the Creator, pointing to words like balance and perspective and wonder and gratitude. Just opening my eyes as I walk around amounts to prayer when my heart is open too.

“All your anxiety, all your care,” my mother used to quote the hymn, especially toward the end of her life, “Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there. Never a burden He cannot bear, Never a friend like Jesus!”

I quoted the hymn – or at least I tried to – at the end of mum’s eulogy just before we came to Tarboro (see “Reflections on Grace”)

Then, down Saint Patrick Street at Maul-Hall, our front garden landscape is almost ready for final reveal. Apparently this coming good rain will set the driveway up for the final application of fine gravel between the pavers.

As the photographs demonstrate, the design has come together beautifully.

This is my “photo Friday” post for this week, rounded out by this 1.5-second clip from Saturday a week ago. Do I want to play soccer again? You bet! But I also want to ride my bike before Thanksgiving – and as Mick Jagger put it so eloquently… Well, we all know what The Rolling Stones said.

“But if you try real hard….” – DEREK