“It was hard to say when exactly winter had arrived. The decline was gradual, like that of a person into old age, inconspicuous from day to day until the season became an established, relentless reality. First came a dip in evening temperatures, then days of continuous rain, confused gusts of Atlantic wind, dampness, the fall of leaves, and the changing of clocks—though there were still occasional moments of reprieve; mornings when one could leave the house without a coat and the sky was cloudless and bright. But they were like false signs of recovery in a patient upon whom death has already passed its sentence.”
~Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel
For your notebook: What signals make you aware of the passing of time or the changing of seasons? “Season” has become synonymous with “era” or “phase,” in some contexts, particularly when speaking about life changes as one gets older. What season are you in? When did you get there? How did you know your life had changed? What season is ahead?
Painting: October Snow (1926), Olga Wisinger-Florian