Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Orange Crush

Bring out your oranges! When I asked if it was too soon to for orange, I hoped to hear some points of view, and dear Nikkipolani came through with a glowing, scrumptious, spark of autumn. And Janece found beautiful orange too! There were a lot of colors in the garden that morning when Maria and I went on our little explore, but somehow the oranges kept popping out and calling for our attention. What happens? Is it just me? My favorite colors are on seasonal rotation, and the first cold snap, the first fallen leaf, triggers a passion, and rekindles my romance with the colors of fall. And once my orange crush takes over the senses demand more!


At first it may be subtle, like a brushstroke of orange in a bird's breast, a flower's petal.


Soon, I am totally smitten with the sun drenched warmth of citrus oranges, and deep, vermillion oranges, the subtle hues of peaches and ambers, the heat of peppery oranges and the dry, crisp hues of dead grass, fallen leaves, and buckwheat. From the cheeriest pumpkin orange to the fiery orange of persimmons and spice, to shades of earthy browns... my orange crush deepens.


And I learn there are so many oranges to enjoy.


Makes we want to bake, to spice a cake or season a stew. Makes me want to knit thick socks and read by a fire. Makes me want to walk in shaded woods, with light falling in fiery shafts. The warm yellow tones, darker than butter or chicks, suggest that summer is fading and it's time to prepare for longer nights, and colder mornings. It makes me want to harvest corn, and roast pumpkin seeds.


It's funny to think how such a hot color can evoke such cold notions, and here, in So Cal, we are hardly likely to find the real kind of cold that calls for knitting woolen hats and pulling on long socks. Am I conditioned to believe that there may soon be frost, that birds will fly south and that all the trees will be bare? Is it something intrinsic, or have I been watching too many movies?


If I leave the windows open over night, it may get just cold enough to inspire us to to bake a pumpkin cake, like Nikkipolani's, or to set aside some ripe bananas for a Cozy banana bread. And very soon, we will be thinking of visiting our favorite pumpkin patch. Then comes Jack-O-Lanterns and the harvest moon, hot cider, and Thanksgiving! Too soon? I know... it's just what happens when I get an orange crush!

6 comments:

nikkipolani said...

Well, that thunbergia is NOT SUBTLE! I love your orange crush, Natalie! But that girl by the pumpkin takes the cake.

amy smith said...

i'm making pumpkin spice cake today in honnor of your orange crush!

suchthings.ca said...

Orange crush, indeed! Fabulous post, Natalie! It's got me in the mood for Fall!
Maryxo

d.a. said...

What yummy photos!

gloria said...

QUE BELLOS TUS NARANJAS NATALIE!
ESAS CALABAZAS GIGANTES SON DIVINAS PARA EL HALLOWEEN, AQUÍ LLEGAN EN OCTUBRE Y BASTANTE CARAS POR CIERTO.

TE INFORMO QUE EL BLOG TUVO QUE CANCELARSE POR PROBLEMAS EN LA CIUDAD, DEMASIADA INFORMACIÓN PERSONAL, PERO EL DE FOTOS SIGUE EN PIE.

BESITOS NATALIE, ADORO EL OTOÑO!!!

Jennifer said...

Hey -- were you a fan of the real thing -- the Orange Crush soda (or pop, as we called it growing up)? It's just so funny because I've been walking around for the past 2 days thinking about Orange Crush, but for me it's the drink I'm thinking about!! Love the photos and the comforting, instinctual thoughts of cold weather....