“Plum Island is a barrier island located off the northeast coast of Massachusetts, north of Cape Ann, in the United States. It is approximately 11 miles in length. The island is named for the wild beach plum shrubs that grow on its dunes.” (Wikipedia)
On a recent sunny fall day I traveled to Plum Island’s Parker River National Wildlife Refuge with my camera to get some early fall images. There was not yet a lot of color showing–mainly some red and yellow foliage. The air was crisp, and the hiking trails were mostly empty of walkers.
Photographing in the fall reminds me of the cycle of life, as the transformation of decay sets in to the plant world. It’s an end to the vigorous growth of spring and summer and the beginning of the long trek of fall into winter–at once a beginning and an ending.
The shoreline, devoid of its summer crowds, puts me in a reflective mood. The immensity of the sky and the dunes and ocean and the emptiness of the beaches draw me to reflect on my place in this creation, a reflection that is both humbling and uplifting. It’s a reflection of gratitude for life and all its gifts and a prayer to let that gratitude show itself in my daily life.
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Chronicles 16:34)
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