Autumn paints the landscape as solstice approaches

The last few days have painted eastern North Carolina in unusual beauty. The autumn colors are sparkling beneath a deep blue sky. The low humidity and cool nights have turned green leaves into reds and golds, and the blue sky forms a matte for nature's painting. The low-hanging sun glares on leaf-covered lawns and blinds drivers.

It's still six weeks until the winter solstice, when the daylight marks its shortest span. Until that date the darkness seems to be winning its battle against the light. Our ancestors celebrated this mystical date, when the conquering darkness begins to recede, when daylight begins to regain its strength, when light and warmth at last prevail over the fearful power of cold and dark. You can still see bits of these ancient joyous celebrations in modern Christmas traditions, by which Christians co-opted the ancient solstice celebrations and Roman Saturnalia — the lighting of candles, the collecting of evergreens, the nighttime festivity, the yule log.

As the darkest of days approaches, we are treated to nature's most spectacular display — colors unknown through 10 months of the year. The flat land of North Carolina's coastal plain lacks the spectacular views of the mountains four hours to the west, where the bright colors seem to go on forever, crease after crease of reds and golds spread out like a rumpled quilt. But even here, where there are no peaks or overlooks and few hills worthy of the name, the colors are spectacular, and even a stroll through neighborhood streets can dazzle the eye.

I spent a couple of hours Monday blowing and raking leaves in my yard, repeating the work I'd done just a few days before. This annual labor of autumn is the price we pay for the spectacular combination of red and gold leaves against a blue sky. It is well worth the cost.