Listening: The National
One of the first things that struck me living here in Poland is the natural beauty that is all around. We arrived in the fall and the leaves were just beginning to turn color...amazing reds and yellows. Around the end of October, autumn was in full swing and everyday I was stunned at how much vibrant color there is. Add to that the backdrop of mist that often hangs in the air, especially in the mornings and I was completely smitten.
Having grown up in Seattle, Autumn has always been my favorite time of the year, but over the last few years, I have always felt a bit cheated when it came to the season. Some years you would get a long fall and others it would seemingly last a week and it was Thanksgiving already. Often it was just damp, cold and grey with a smattering of color here and there. What I remember from growing up in Washington was not living up to the current look of Autumn at all. Still, when it was on it was on....
I had no expectation of what the season would be like here, but completely thrilled to find so much texture on a daily basis. In Swarzedz (where we live), just outside of Poznan, I was stunned to find a little lake and forest just down the road from us. Incredibly beautiful walk that almost encircles the entire lake. The actual lake is surrounded by parkland, but it is divided by marshes. Almost everyday I go to the lake and have enjoyed every kind of weather there: from a beautiful fall day to a semi-blizzard to sunny and -30c. One of my favorite moments was getting the chance to walk out onto the lake after it had completely frozen over and seeing my park from a different view, that and seeing the ice fishermen doing there thing. Very cool! No pun intended.
I am mentioning this because along with going to this lake almost daily i have also been bringing my camera and capturing some of the magic as it happens. Looking forward to capturing spring and summer now....enjoy!!
