One last flash of red

Look over here
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The colors outside are fading into an inevitable grey murk. So as I set out for a fast photowalk through the neighborhood, I'm not expecting to find much.

My, am I in for a surprise.

Just down the hill from us, beside the house where a sweet Jack Russell Terrier often barks at the fence in a futile attempt to befriend our dog, a single maple tree stands. And on a breezy Sunday afternoon under a flat grey sky, it decides to put on one final show before shedding its leafy coat for the winter.

In all the years walking past this house, I doubt I've ever noticed this particular tree. But I suppose every tree has its moment. The red almost begs to be remembered, and I am, of course, happy to oblige.

It's a reminder that the whole timing-is-everything mindset is as valid in the suburban forest as it is in life. And we owe it to ourselves to slow things down every once in a while so we can take in the things we've been missing all along.

Because pleasant surprises await, in any color, on any street, on any day. And when the red fades into a grey monotone in the days ahead, there will be equally compelling stories to tell.

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