Gold After the Frost

It was a hard frost overnight, and the leaves were crispy-crunchy under my feet. The sunlight was bright golden and delicious. I was at the Arboretum for one of my quick jaunts.

So many of our trees are wonderful right now, and I am in that state of perfect autumn happiness when I am outdoors chasing the colors. But it's the kind of happiness that holds its breath, because we know how quickly the leaves can go.

Here is a photo of one of the trees I enjoy there. I think it's a willow of some kind, and the light was shining right through it, pretty as a picture. In the background, you can see some of the campus buildings across Park Avenue (tantalizingly, the Creamery is just a few minutes' walk away); and in the foreground, the white of frost.

I remember the 80s, when we thought U2 was just about the coolest band there ever was. The soundtrack song is one of their greats: U2, with One Tree Hill. The song appears on the 1987 album Joshua Tree, which I treasure with all my heart. If you sing it soft and low, it sounds just like a lullaby.

We turn away to face the cold, enduring chill
As the day begs the night for mercy love
The sun so bright it leaves no shadows
Only scars carved into stone
On the face of earth
The moon is up and over One Tree Hill
We see the sun go down in your eyes

You run like river, on like a sea
You run like a river runs to the sea