Autumn blooms; new beginnings

One of the hardest things about living in Florida is missing the chance to experience all four seasons. Though I don't miss the cold, snowy winters, I do often lament the lack of the spring fragrances and the cool, crisp, fall evenings that I grew up with in the northeast.

But as I've been driving to work the past few days, I've noticed something interesting. The trees may not be changing colors in the traditional deciduous way, but there is a definite transformation happening. New blooms are coming out. Plants that lay dormant under the hot, humid sun have found themselves seeking some fresh air in the cooler mornings.
The result is a new color palette under a bluer sky, with wispy white clouds dotting the atmosphere, instead of the heavy storm clouds that we've become so familiar with all summer.
This change in nature is a good reminder for me that life's rhythms aren't always planned either, and sometimes, there are good things just waiting around the corner if we alter our expectations.
After this summer of loss, the blooming plumeria tree in our front yard seems like hope and new beginnings, and a reminder that adventures are just around the corner.