The stories of my life on a little island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea ... and my occasional adventures beyond these shores.

Thursday 29 September 2016

Summer's end

It was Sunday morning and I was alone in the house doing the much-hated ironing. All was still, all was silent - except for a barley-perceptible noise that I had not heard in months: the gentle rhythm of the falling rain and the occasional rumble of distant thunder. The unmistakable scent of petrichor wafted in through the open doors and windows, tickling my nose. The air smelt fresh, the dust of months was washed away, the plants looked relieved and I could finally breathe. I feel like I've stumbled across a rare gem, a grey autumn day in sunny Malta. Can I safely say that autumn is here to stay? Probably not. I am sure that blue skies will soon chase the clouds away. But for the moment, I find comfort in the possibility that maybe, just maybe, we will experience this most elusive of seasons. As the cool air finally circulates around the house I allow myself to dream of fluffy socks and pumpkin-spice scented candles while thinking about upcoming lazy weekends spent reading, baking or watching movies.

Ghar Lapsi (7)

There is something extremely exhilarating about the shift in seasons, the slow but steady decline in daylight hours. Perhaps it's strange that I love the seasons that so many love to hate. But there is an aura of mystery and enchantment that surrounds autumn and winter that totally eludes our boisterous summers. Maybe it's because summers are for extroverts but autumn and winter are definitely for introverts. The beaches are all but deserted now, the crowds have gone home and nothing remains but the echoes of memories. Memories which we didn't make because we shun crowds and noise and spend most of our summer days in a tight little circle of family and close friends. Like snails we remain cocooned in our shells, until the rain comes and coaxes us out.

Ghar Lapsi (11)

Excitedly I start making plans for the coming  months: there are hikes to plan and cookies to bake; books to read (although that never stops) and movies to see; titbits to share with my readers and changes to make to this blog. I can finally stop contemplating the ceiling and twiddling my thumbs and get productive.

So, after the very long article I wrote last time about Dunster, I thought that this time I would keep it simple but before I go I wanted to share this wonderful collection of photos of The North American Indian taken by Edward Sheriff Curtis between 1904 and 1924, which provides an enthralling insight into the daily lives of various indigenous North American tribes. As always, when the subject of American Indians comes up, it makes me wonder what America would be like today if white man had not desecrated its most sacred places.

Ghar Lapsi (48)

Speaking  of North America's hallowed places, this National Geographic photo of Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring is simply breath-taking and brought back wonderful memories of our trip there in 2013. Yellowstone is an unforgettable place, a wilderness that each person that is able to should visit at  least once in their lifetime. I promise that you will come away with so much more than  memories. I almost got the feeling that I was looking right at America's soul. I can truly never find the words to convey what I'm trying to say. The best thing would be for you to experience it for yourselves.

Ghar Lapsi (53)

Location: Ghar Lapsi, October 2015

10 comments:

  1. Wonderful post, thank you

    Yellowstone is one place I do want to visit in my life time. For autumn, if I grew mums or marigolds indoors, then I can crush a few petals in my hands to remind me of fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that's a good idea. I must go buy some mums and marigolds. I adore their vibrant colours.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  2. IRONING!I use to dislike it TOO but then I asked for anew iron like my friend had and I LOVE IT!You need a GOOD IRON it makes ALL the difference in the WORLD.......then again do you have to iron the underwear like I did in ITALY?That would be a never ending JOB!
    XX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no, I don't ever iron underwear. That would be like inflicting self-torture.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  3. I can imagine that in a country where it seldom rains, each drop is welcome, while here it is just the opposite. I don't like fall, it makes me sad, the trees loose their leaves and look naked. Mostly it is grey and humid or it rains. It's getting cold too and that together with the fact that at 8 pm it's nearly dark and soon it will be at 5 pm, doesn't lift my mood !

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Loree what a super post. I too love autumn's coming because of all those lovely cozy things one enjoys. Pumpkin is a favorite scent along with cinnamon that makes this season even cozier. So glad you love our country. Thank you for paying homage to our Native Americans. Many hugs and enjoy your rain!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You know I share your love of grey skies and rain and cooler temperatures. In fact, I was nodding my head through most of this post :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing, nice post! Post really provice useful information!

    Giaonhan247 chuyên dịch vụ gửi hàng đi Úc, mua hộ vòng tay pandora úc ship về Việt Nam uy tín và dịch vụ vận chuyển hàng đi campuchia uy tín và kinh nghiệm cách order taobao về VN giá rẻ.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I read and appreciate every one of your comments. I will do my best to reply whenever I can.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails