Today at Iten's Acres: Autumn Artisty October 17, 2014

Only had half a day of school today--parent-teacher conferences. So I took the long way home--one of them anyway. An autumn cruise along the backroads of Ohio. I love the winding roads--the windier the better. If only I could paint . . . Beautiful colors everywhere. And I love this time of year for its "openness." Crops are being harvested and as the leaves fall, too, hidden old farm houses, the trees on the far end of the fields, the antique red barns reappear after a summer in seclusion. And the contour of the land is evident again. I walk it in my imagination. In the fields the green monsters send up plumes of chaff as they take a turn on the far side of the acres they are reaping. Some fields already harvested have been plowed for another planting of some crop. Spring and autumn mingle in the landscape. I drive slowly--as you know. Roll down the window. The smells of fall are as invigorating as the living canvas. The aroma of burning in the air. And it smells as if rain is coming. Love that fragrance. Wonder why no one has ever bottled it? It was a good journey for the soul. And then, at home, a few hours of working on The Acres, sitting on the hilltop, walking through the wildness. I was so tempted to just lie down in the grass and sleep away a lazy afternoon. A lovely day for an old man in love with solitude and a life of quiet reflection. Someday, perhaps, Lord willing, I can make my entire life a meditation. He is the God of Wonders; and this afternoon, He allowed me to immerse my body, soul, and spirit in His artistry.