The light in late August and early September changes noticeably from the core summer months. I often sit out on the steps of my deck overlooking my backyard. This time of year, the birds are preparing for the changing temperatures. You can see it in their frantic activity. Some leaves are already beginning to turn yellow and orange, and others fall as I watch. I am a witness to the changes.

On August 31st, one of my favorite writers, Wendell Berry, passed away. We lost Dolly Parton the week before. In so many ways, it is a time of transition, of change. If we are paying attention, we will notice the transitions all around us, perhaps even within us. The season is changing from summer to fall. Life goes on, but it is markedly different from the summer.

For my family, the pace picks up quite a bit. Back to school means busy mornings and lots of afterschool activities. Finding time to slow down, to reflect, to be still is generally harder for me. But I feel the fall necessitates it. I find that when I go to a nearby park, Tamarack Nature Center, I am able to just be, even if for a moment. That timeless moment is a pause to be still and center. I am entirely connected to the place with my feet on the ground.

On September 11th, I will run the Superior 100. It is a point-to-point foot race on the Superior Hiking Trail straight through from Gooseberry Falls to Lutsen. “No sleep till Lutsen,” we like to say! It takes about 30+ hours for most people. I do this race because, for me, it is a deeply meditative time in the woods. It connects me to place and to people. It’s really a kind of spiritual endeavor for me, a pilgrimage. In some ways, a pilgrimage is a time of transition. You change as you go, and you are different by the end. I am deeply grateful to all the people who preserved the Superior Hiking Trail. It is a special place for me and my family.

Upstream MN has a number of fantastic events planned for September and October (I like to affectionately call it “Septober”). These events are meant to connect us to one another and to promote the long-term stewardship of our natural places. We will celebrate people and organizations that are engaged in wonderful stewardship actions. We will have Pastries in the Park on the East Side. We’ll be gathering folks for some service projects. All of these things are put together with the intention of building trust among people so that we collectively care for our surrounding natural places and spaces.

Over and over, I come back to this Wendell Berry quote:    It’s reminiscent of Matthew 7, which is why it’s immediately recognizable to many people. The idea is so simple, and yet it has such profound implications. Mr. Berry had a lot to say about a lot of things. Most of his writings carry the theme of care for place and one another. While his journey here on earth is now concluded, his writings live on. I invite you to check out his poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

As you move from summer mode into fall, to what will you give your attention? Is there a place you can go to center amidst all the activity? Is there a way you can care for this place so that it remains for generations to come?

Grace (A Poem for Autumn) by Wendell Berry

The woods is shining this morning.
Red, gold and green, the leaves
lie on the ground, or fall,
or hang full of light in the air still.
Perfect in its rise and in its fall, it takes
the place it has been coming to forever.
It has not hastened here, or lagged.
See how surely it has sought itself,
its roots passing lordly through the earth.
See how without confusion it is
all that it is, and how flawless
its grace is. Running or walking, the way
is the same. Be still. Be still.
“He moves your bones, and the way is clear.”