Thinking Allowed: Wearing a self-destructing gown of red orange brown

Autumn is incredible. Autumn is the final gala of the summer - all dressed up and balmy. After the heat and dry crispy grass of summer, Autumn is a breath of fresh air that sweeps in. It is a reminder to all people that it is time to start hibernating. It is time to put away unrealistic ambitions, time to cut down on over zealous work hours, and time to make habit of long strolls. This is the season with the best weather for walking and dreaming. Here in Canberra it has become cool enough that all our non-native trees (really a wake up call to the failure of the city to stick to native plants!) have transformed themselves into beautiful whispers of other continents and flooded our minds with both awe and nostalgia for far off worlds. I went for a stroll with Jakob who froze in wonder in front of a particularly fiery red tree in a courtyard. The red contrasted with the stark modern concrete edifice behind it so he couldn't help but pause to reflect and comment in wonder "That is incredible - what kind of tree is that?" I broke the fiery wonder with guffaws of disbelief "but Jakob that is a maple tree!" Autumn is a reminder of how long we have been on this side of the Equator, how much we have long forgotten about living in Canada, how our freckles have multiplied with the years.

A person can make an argument against most seasons but it is my opinion that Autumn is blameless and faultless. Before our eyes we are given a hope of how beautiful demise and degeneration can be. As the gentle breeze floods our front corridor and balconies with red and yellow leaves, we are reminded that sometimes letting down our defenses can both be a poem and a strength. And we are fortified by the splendor of fruits and vegetables Autumn brings in. It is our time to feast on apples and nightshades and our family does so with enthusiasm. As the trees shed their leaves in Canberra it brings in my favorite events of the year - the swarming of the sidewalks and parks with cockatoos. These gangs of cockatoos are what I will miss most when I one day leave Canberra. They are loud creatures - with garish screams they descend, announcing to everyone "I am here I am here, I AM HERE." But like with children, we can't help but forgive their antics, as with their golden crowns and playful personalities is there any better symbol of all being well in the world? A dove has nothing on a cockatoo just as Spring will never live up to the glory of Autumn.