Autumn Sunshine

We appreciate autumn sunshine when the mornings are chilly and rainy days become more common. Autumn sun is also special because of the slant of the light.

In the autumn I seek out the sunlight, like a cat looking for the best place to snooze. I sigh happily when the sun warms my back. During the hotter season, when the sun beats down with lances of heat, baking the air, I often wanted to sidle into the nearest shade or put on a deep-brimmed hat or grab a tall, icy drink. The sunshine of fall is invigorating.

The light slants dramatically at our latitude. The angle brings the sunbeams into our home showing all the dust on the windows, but it cheers up the rooms and highlights the colors. The slant of light allows it to play dramatically among the tree branches and creat large dapply shadows, unlike the summer sun which pours down more directly, making small dense shadows. The view from my computer is full of side-lit golden-green leaves, shimmering in the light breeze. Spotlights of sun fall on shrubs and ferns.

A drive in the countryside this morning with friends reminded me how the softer autumn light falls beautifully on the fields and forests. The trees join the dance of light with tints of gold and red, and the fields lie yellow-green and shining.