Autumnal Blues

As the autumn progresses and the days grow shorter some folks suffer from SAD – seasonal affective disorder. SAD usually begins in the fall and lasts into the winter until the days become noticeably longer. Medically it’s described as a type of depression related to the change of season. Often depression has been described as “the blues”.

Not to make anybody sad, but soon our wildflowers will stop blooming for the year, the blue skies of summer will be replaced by November’s gray clouds and much open water will be frozen. But until then let’s look at some of the more pleasant autumnal blues. The blue sky of a beautiful fall day –

And its reflection on still water –

Many of the flowers of fall are blue: chicory –

Closed gentian –

And many species of aster –

New England Aster

Heart-leaved Aster

Purple-stemmed Aster

Great blue herons still hunt for frogs, fish and snakes along the streams; they’ll stay through winter as long as they can find open water –

And there are wild grapes in the fencerows and woodlands, grapes that will feed wildlife –

The beauty of these autumnal blues brings pleasure and beauty to the changing season and helps to lessen "the blues".