Fall-out

It's a yin-yang time of year.

One morning brings the mournful honking of Canada geese heading south, which for those of us who call upstate New York home is a certain sign that cold weather is coming. But that same day also brings a bluebird sighting, a bit of winged evidence that while it may be getting colder, it isn't winter yet.

As the sun continues to set earlier and rise later, I find myself feeling grateful every time I hear a robin in the pine tree near my front door, grateful for every remaining blossom on my rose bushes, grateful for the feel of the soil in my hands as I plunge tulip bulbs packed with the promise of spring into their new home.

Seasons change, and if you're lucky enough to live in a place where you can see and feel that change, you know that as winter follows fall, spring will conquer winter and the days will, in time, grow longer.

For now, we'll just have to accept the dark days, safe in the knowledge that they can't last forever.