“As autumn returns to earth’s northern hemisphere,
and day and night are briefly,
but perfectly,
balanced at the equinox,
may we remember anew how fragile life is —-
human life, surely,
but also the lives of all other creatures,
trees and plants,
waters and winds. (cont.)

May we make wise choices in how and what we harvest,
may earth’s weather turn kinder,
may there be enough food for all creatures,
may the diminishing light in our daytime skies
be met by an increasing compassion and tolerance
in our hearts.” ~ Kathleen Jenks

Shall I not have intelligence with the earth?
Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself.
~ Henry David Thoreau

“I trust in Nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility.
Spring shall plant and Autumn garner to the ends of time.”
~ Robert Browning

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
~ Lewis Grizzard

“The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn’t simple.”
~ Doris Janzen Longacre

What better way to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn than to stroll around the Farmers’ Market, gathering peppers and potatoes, pumpkins and squash in our string bags, tucking bags of squeaky cheese curds and a jar of freshly pickled relish in our pockets, greeting the farmers we’ve been visiting all summer while they tell us of tonight’s weather prediction – a hard frost in the low lying regions.

We bought a huge bunch of flowers after we heard the forecast for a hard freeze. If it gets that cold, there will be no more fresh flowers at any of the vendors’ stalls next week.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is celebrating the autumn equinox by giving thanks for the bountiful harvest and setting her table with a bouquet of some of the last garden flowers of the year.