Washington DC foliage, looking on Washington Monument from Potomac River. Photo by Rachel Cooper.
New England foliage on the banks of the Squam River in Ashland, New Hampshire. Photo by Judy Blomquist.Since I arrived US, I had heard of leaf color changes (foliage) up and down the US East coast. I kept telling myself that one day I will go to New England during the autumn to see it for myself. My unrealized dream waited in my heart, number one on the list of things I really wanted to do in my lifetime.
For a number of years I traveled to Washington DC on numerous occasions. When I still lived in Tehran, I was invited to a wedding in DC in late October of 2005. My plane got in at around 3:30 p.m. As we approached the DC area, I looked down below and saw the most breathtaking view I had ever seen. Not just interspersed instances, but entire trees had turned into unbelievable flaming reds, gleaming yellows, shocking oranges, mauves, purples, and golds, creating the most spectacular visual feast I had ever seen. Before my eyes was the most beautiful foliage scene of the East Coast! Just like that, during that week one of my long-standing wishes was realized and is off the list now. In my many visits to DC, I had never been there during this particular time of the year, which is why I had missed it before. Since that day I reflect that things we wish for in our hearts might be a lot closer to where we are than we think. We should just be lucky enough to see them.
21 comments:
the pictures are really beautiful, I liked the abrs as well
~Edward A.
Nazy jan,
You are right. Autumn is beautiful. Here the autumn is so beautiful, like a gorgeous painting. No matter how much I look at the trees and the spectacular view, I still want to look at them. I love having a wish list. I have one too full of wishes and things to do! :P Nazy jan, I wish this wish and all your wishes in your wish list come true very soon.
Best wishes,
Pardis
P.S, Nazy jan today is the annual “Pumpkin Drop” competition in our school! Now that I’m typing I can see from the window how participants have protected their pumpkins to win!! It’s so funny!
سلام نازی جان
عکسهایی که پست کردی واقعا عالی بود من جدا لذت بردم
و چقدر این محل زیباست
Pumpkin Drop
فکر می کنم باید جالب باشه تو اینترنت راجع بهش خوندم چند سال پیش الان که سر زدم کلی عکس جالب و خنده دار در موردش تو سایت دانشکده فیزیک یکی از دانشگاههای کالیفرنیا پیدا کردم
ممنونم پردیس جان به خاطر اشاره ی به موقت
My Dear Mr. Golabdouz:
What an honor to have you back! Thank you. Does the area where you live experience a profound foliage like the East Coast? We have it but in a lot more subtle ways. Have a good weekend Edward Jan.
Pardis Jan: Thank you for coming and for your good wishes. You certainly sound in good spirits, and I'm so glad for that. You should take pictures of the "pumpkin drop" competition and send it to me to post here! I have actually seen it, and it's really hilarious to watch. Good going Pardis. Have a good weekend my friend.
Salam Farshad Jan: I'm glad you found out about one of the fun things people do in the US in October. Yes, the color changes are beautiful, and in fact I think no photograph does the beauty justice. It must be seen. Hopefully one day you will see the foliage in the East, and I will see the Ashpazan in Kash village of Taleghan! Be good Uni-Far!
Nazy jaaan
The quality of abrs here in our region is outstanding. but we don't experience this kind of foliage we are more into asemaan than zamin :)
your photo made me agree with shamlou that "dast az asemaan bedar ke vahy az khak miresad"
I used to think that it is about real estate :)
~Edward A.
Oh Nazy jan, It finished half an hour ago and I did not take any pics! I'm so sorry.
It was fun! and most of the parachutes which participants attached to their pumpkins (to protect it) did not open!!;The result: BOOM! :))
Have a great weekend Nazy jan,
Pardis
P.S, You're welcome "Mr. !" (I'm not sure about your name).The good thing here is that all proceeds from this event goes for donation.
Edward Jan: Thank you for the philosophy-filled comment! Though I must say, you have mis-quoted other poets so many times, I make it a point to go check the poem before I believe you! You are a poet yourself and we should all just acknowledge you for that gift. I like the way the word "abrs" looks in English. N.
Pardis Jan: It's O.K., perhaps next year! ! is Farshad from Alef Shin's Universal Dimensions weblog (http://dialogos.blogfa.com/). I call him Farshad, !, Universal Farshad, or Uni-Far alternatively!
عکس دوم مرا مدتیست به خود مشغول کرده! زمین و آب و آسمان چه ترکیب رنگی حیرت آوری پدید آورده اند و از همه بهتر این که اثر هیچ بنی بشری هم آن جا دیده نمی شود! خیلی خیلی زیباست و کسی نمی تواند منکر زیبایی اش باشد. ای کاش چشم باطن نیز مثل چشم ظاهر زیبایی ها را به همین صورت عیان می دید
ای کاش نازی عزیز
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ا.ش عزیز
بله این عکس مدتی است من رو هم به خودش مشغول کرده واقعا همینطوره که شما میگین
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پردیس عزیز
my name is Uni-Farshad jan !! as Nazy said !!!
خواهش می کنم ولی حیف که عکسی نگرفتین من جدا خیلی کنجکاو بودم که عکسهای شما رو هم ببینم ، و در خیال خودم فکر میکردم که باید عکسهای زیبایی باشند
من چه دلتنگ اين تصوير پائيني هستم
Salam Bar Alef Shin-e-Aziz: It's always nice to hear from you. Yes, I think those colors add an amazing sharpness to the overall color of the scene. I think it is amazing that an area that huge experiences this phenomenon together, bringing those colors around once a year. Foliage is experienced up and down the US and Canadian East Coast, with the coldest areas, such as the New England region, experiencing it as early as September, and as you go down toward the South, other areas reaching it later, with parts of Florida seeing it last in November and December.
About the other point you raised, I agree with you. Of course I understand that you are talking about being able to see all the intangible, yet meaningful, good things in life and appreciating them. But that deep view into our surroundings, free of what is immediately visible, can sometimes also expose us to seeing bad things, side by side of good things. What if just as we could see good intentions, hope, honesty, and truthfulness in people, we could also directly and sharply see their bad intentions, greed, lies, and evil? Wouldn't life be a continuous stream of sadness and disappointment in members of our family, friends, and colleagues?
I have been so trusting and loving to people around me all my life, sometimes I think many people think I am gullible or easily decepted, as I trust everyone and believe everyone to be good. I follow my heart, trying to see the good in everyone, hoping for that goodness to be there. Whether it is or not, time will tell, or I may never know, but I enjoy my life believing in goodness in all instead of feeling disappointed in some. I hope I'm not too far off the mark in understanding what said and trying to explain what I think about it.
Thanks again for coming Alef Shin Jan.
Uni-Far Jan:
We will have a "reporter on the scene," Pardis, next year!
Nedaye Azizam: I hope you are well. Hee hee, let me tell you something: I think the New England area is lovely to visit during the foliage and also for their many historic American monuments, good universities, and other attractions. I would never want to live there, though, as they have hellaciously cold winters, buried under tons of snow for months! I couldn't handle it!
I live in California now, and only look at pictures of that area, feeling really good and smug! If you come to California, I will take you to see some of the most beautiful places in this world. I took my British friend to see Carmel on the California coast a few years ago. We arrived just as the sun was setting. The view was so beautiful, and the surrounding waves, sky, trees, rocks, and sand were so perfect, she started crying and sat to pray before this beauty. While the same reaction doesn't happen to everyone, I do believe the beauty is incomparable to anything else in the world.
Don't be "deltang" Neda Jan! You have friends who care about you. Remember, "this, too, shall pass." Be happy Neda!
با درود به نازی عزیز
دیروز به آهار رفته بودم درختان به همین زیبایی سر شار از رنگ بودن
Salam Fari Jan: Baba koja boodi? I have missed you my friend! Hey, I have been to Ahar! It's gorgeous in the summer. Of course, it gets really cold there during the winters, too. I think it's the extreme and sudden temperature changes which causes the drastic color changes.
Next time you go to Ahar, bring us pictures and I will post them here.
I hope you are happy Farhad Jan, shining and sparkling in life. I'm really glad you wrote.
بله نازی عزیز درست می‌گویید ولی نکته‌ی ظریفی هست: زشتی‌ها و پلیدی‌ها در رویه هستند نه در باطن امور.
ترکیب رنگ‌ها و برگ‌ها یادآور ترکیب کنش‌های انسانی با روی‌کردهای مختلف است، در آن سیاهی هست، سپیدی نیز هست، رنگ شاد و نشاطآور هست، تیرگی و غم‌افزایی نیز هست. میوه‌ها نیز همواره شاداب نیستند.
اما رنگ‌ها عارضی هستند، برگ‌ها و میوه‌ها پدیداری هستند و از بنیان و ارکان دیگری بروز می‌کنند. همه چیز از دانه‌ای، از اصلی یگانه آغاز می‌شود: اصل شکوفایی و باروری و رشد و کمال.
گوهر زندگی واحد است و از مهر، از اصلی یگانه آغاز می‌شود. باطن امور سراسر زیبایی و پاکی‌ست. چشم باطن چشمه‌ی نیکی را می‌بیند تا وجود را از آن سرشار کند برای ستیز با پلشتی‌هایی که چون لکه‌هایی سیاه پیرامون ما را فراگرفته‌اند.
Thank you Alef Shin for that explanation. I have read it several times and each time I read it, I try to understand the essence of what you say. It feels so reassuring to think that everything is good, everyone is good, and life and its elements are all good. I will think about this some more. Thank you.
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