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Autumn glory

Imagine, if you will, a Christmas tree.

No, I’m not talking about one of those beautiful “O Tannenbaum” trees of yore. I’m thinking of the artificial variety and a cheap one at that.

You know: stem straight (if one’s lucky and it hasn’t been around too many years) with assorted branches sticking out on the sides. I suppose the number (and quality) of those branches is correlated to its original price which, for me, is neither here nor there.

I ask only for you to picture the tree. It’s the shape I want you to retain. It’s far too soon to be thinking of Christmas (unless you’re wandering through any of our local stores).

But back to the tree.

Vertical post with branches going out from it. This is not quite a child’s drawing of such a tree, however, for our branches actually rise at what is pretty close to a seventy-five degree angle.

Now that we’ve determined that shape, color is next for it really is early October.

The leaves have pretty much turned. My world is brilliant in oranges, reds, golds, and, still, plenty of greens, running the gamut from chartreuse to the deepest darkest green, the color I picked for my dining room.

Paint brush handy? Tree: the bottom is a medium light green which somehow extends farther up on the left side. Then a color that defies my description: yellow … almost … mixed with a lighter green. Whatever its name, it is what would draw your eye to this particular tree for, actually, it is so bright it seems to glow. And it certainly stands out from the deeper greens and rust/brown surrounding it.

But Nature has still more in store for the top the real top and the tips of those lighter green branches (but not the bottom) have been dyed in the loveliest reddish auburn. One could almost have hair that shade though, I’m afraid, it’s a bit too close to Raggedy Ann (or a college-aged coed no family members identified).

There is nothing even remotely similar in the neighborhood of this singular tree so it demands attention, like it or not.

I like it.

But there’s more. Indeed!

For this particular tree (I couldn’t begin to give it a proper “tree” name) is growing on the far shore of my little lake. I’m looking that direction anyway for that’s where the wood ducks prefer to hang out. And they’re here too three pairs quite regularly, usually paired now but not shy about coming wherever they expect to find the best nibbles.

So not only do I have this spectacular tree but underneath lies its reflection, almost as bright and almost as pretty.

When the sun shines (and it does) the entire bank is glorified by this one little tree, entertaining my visitors as much as me.

I suspect there’s a lesson there for us all.

Susan Crossett has lived outside Cassadaga for more than 20 years. A lifetime of writing led to these columns as well as two novels. “Her Reason for Being” was published in 2008 with “Love in Three Acts” released in June. Copies are available at Papaya Arts on the Boardwalk in Dunkirk and the Cassadaga ShurFine. Information on all the Musings, the books and the author can be found at Susancrossett.com.

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