Today I headed east to Snoqualmie. Twenty years ago, this neighborhood became the setting for the TV drama “Twin Peaks” directed by David Lynch. There’re slightly high mountains as well as deep forests and fields and the residents live with the rich nature.

This area hasn't been modernized and the mysterious small town in “Twin Peaks” still remains. Forestry and mining used to prosper and I heard this Northern Pacific Railways locomotive would carry the local woods and coals.

After I went through the forest road, I found human activities blended with nature. On this day, it was cold and I felt the approach of another snowy season. Glass and forest color rapidly and hurry to the winter. I found a farmer devoting herself to harvesting between the rains.

When I gaze at the cropped scenes, I feel like getting surrounded by them sitting on a chair. Next year, I should bring a portable chair, pack light meal and a hot drink into the bag. Then, I will just enjoy staying here until dark.

Speaking of autumn I think of the chanson standard “Autumn Leaves.” The beautiful and sad song is about remembering the past love, so its name sounds romantic to me. In the dictionary, “to wither” means plants to die from dehydration or bodies to lose moisture and become dispirited. As I’m also an elderly person, this word sounds real to me, but I’m also relieved because it has a positive meaning, “to mature and taste deeper.” For me, “Autumn Leaves” must be sung by Juliette Greco. Anyway, in autumn, leaves color deeper and deeper as they wither and they look beautiful. I hope human beings should age like those leaves.

Forest paths fork into many lanes and sometimes I don’t know which way I should head to. I tend to choose the way that goes up and I think that’s because I want to get a wide view from the higher place even though I seldom find such a place in deep forests. Still, I climb higher and higher hoping something nice may happen there.

Autumn leaves change colors slowly and partially, so they look like oil paintings that are being drawn just in front of me. Sound of leaves blown by the wind changes from soft to dry tones, and that’s when the small curved leaves depart from the branch hurriedly like a cloud of little birds.

I walk in the rain to the forest of wet white birch and maple trees. I hear the voices of autumn leaves overheard and the leaves around me shine brightly as if they welcome me. No one is around. Every time I step on the leaves on the ground, the rhythmical sound resonates throughout the forest and I also feel a little lonely. Not a sound was to be heard and it’s fun to follow the large falling leaves with my eyes. I wonder if all these leaves would fall when a wintry wind starts blowing. Before the season comes, I felt I could keep walking until I stop breathing.