I get here and and just wait for the magic to happen. Sometimes the magic manifests itself in obvious ways like the sudden appearance of a river otter or the piercing cry of an osprey as it circles the sky above the river. Quite often though the magic of this place is felt in subtle and barely perceptible ways. Today for example we’re on the cusp of the autumnal equinox and I can feel the magic of seasonal transition all around me. The angle of the sun, the quality of the light and the difference in the breeze are all undeniable signs of change.

The transition from summer to autumn is one of my favorite times of the year. The blistering heat, drought and relentless sunshine gradually give way to cooler temperatures, cloudy mornings and eventually the welcome rains. Last year at this time our area was covered in a suffocating blanket of toxic smoke as terrifying wildfires were once again burning out of control and threatening our community. Weeks on end of relentless smoke, fire and blistering heat obscured the seasonal change that was going on all around us. By the time the smoke cleared and the fires were finally under control, it had already become autumn.

I feel so much gratitude today. At least for now, no fires are burning nearby. The sky is robin’s egg blue, not apocalypse orange and the air is so clean! I fill my nostrils with the  sweet, subtle smells of earth, river and forest. After the horrific fires of the past four years I deeply relish and will never again take for granted how wonderful it feels to breathe cool, clean air.

The river is barely flowing. It acts like a mirror: the reflection of the surrounding trees is broken only by the whisper of a breeze that ripples across the water, the occasional jump of a fish and a few early autumn leaves that corkscrew their way down to the surface. The branches of the trees shimmer and wave; some have already begun to surrender their leaves to the timeless march of seasonal change. Many will soon be bare, only to burst forth once again into the glittering greens of spring.

Ravens and turkey vultures wheel overhead, black chevrons against the blue. The screech of a red shouldered hawk and the chatter of a Stellar’s Jay temporarily break the silence. Fallen leaves swirl slowly in the eddy before me. There’s a resident squirrel here, it’s “whoop, whoop” voice is either a welcome or a warning. The rattle of a belted kingfisher tells me that this diminutive aquatic predator is active nearby.

There are powerful forces at work here. You could call it God or magic or whatever you like. Summer is dissolving into autumn. I breathe it all in and let the magic of seasonal change flow through me. Today is truly a gift and I’m not letting it slip by unnoticed.

You don’t need no gypsy to tell you why you can’t let one precious day slip by.

Greg Allman