Winter is here, but this past Fall was the most colorful one I have ever experienced, and I had visitors to share it with in Daydreaming on the Porch

The leaves fall, fall as from far,
Like distant gardens withered in the heavens;
They fall with slow and lingering descent.
And in the nights the heavy Earth, too, falls
From out the stars into the Solitude.
Thus all doth fall. This hand of mine must fall
And lo! the other one:—it is the law.
But there is One who holds this falling
Infinitely softly in His hands.


Rainer Maria Rilke


Last week marked a rare event in my solitary life. I had the pleasure of a four-day visit by two friends who are academics in Europe working on a large research project about the writing of long-term online diarists. Several years ago the original researchers selected my online journal, which has been a continuous part of my life since 1998, not long after the Internet and World Wide Web came on the scene. For me m, the Web in the years after 1996, was instantaneously both life-enhancing and life-changing . For the first time I had an audience for my writing that truly meant something to me. Every personal essay and journal entry I posted was read and commented on by people who related to and appreciated what I was saying. And this has kept me inspired and motivated to write online for more than 25 years.

My researcher friends have interviewed me extensively during two intensive work visits in 2023, and just this past week. It’s now concluded, but what a mentally stimulating and personally enjoyable visit it was, as we also found time to see parks, gardens and one of Charleston’s most beautiful and famous historic house.

Fortunately, we had the most perfect sunny and cool weather to enjoy long walks experiencing the abundant natural beauty which surrounds me here. And most remarkably, as I frequently commented to my visitors, the colors of the leaves and woods this late Autumn were more stunningly beautiful than I have ever known them to be.

The Fall leaf changes are usually muted here along the South Carolina coast, with lots of brown, dead leaves falling from the trees. Not so this year. The woods seemed to be filled with gold, yellow and red leaves. I was mesmerized during our lengthy walks at the large county nature preserve, as oaks, hickories, sweet gum, beech, walnut and other types of trees offered a dazzling spectacle of color.

Needless to say, I was busy with my camera taking pictures in between all the oohs and as. I was like a kid in a candy shop. The woods, marshes, grasses and reeds shone in radiant golds and yellow primarily. I was simply awed by the majesty of this season, as never before. I have been trying to figure out what special combination of weather factors and other natural conditions came together this year to provide such a pageant of color, both in the city and in the countryside.

Here are some of my favorite captures of the trees, woods,and marshes:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/camas/K7T34V9z9T