The Mystery of the Autumn Woods

Walking through the moss covered forest at sunrise, I follow a well worn path, past a weathered fence.  My footsteps are silent across the scarlet carpet of leaves, not yet dry enough to crunch beneath my feet. The sun's rays peak over a hilltop, illuminating the fiery reds and oranges of the Maple leaves...

Do you really think that I would be out walking in the woods, alone, at sunrise?  My idea of the great outdoors is an outdoor cafe! This isn't even a forest.

Of all the photographs I have taken, this one arouses the most curiosity.   

The photograph was taken right in my kitchen.  It's the bottom of a hot copper au gratin pan, which I use for everything from chicken to fish to pasta.  I had just taken the Rosemary Roast Chicken and Potatoes out of the oven, and as I placed it on top of the stove, I noticed the copper base was glowing pink, red, purple, and orange. The chicken and potatoes were unceremoniously cast aside, while I took photograph after photograph of the glowing copper oval. What appears to be sunlight peering over a hill of trees, is the glare of the overhead stove light. Years of scratches have left fence-like markings on the bottom of the pan. After forty years of use, it has a rich patina.

The photograph is called 1776, because the dates 1776-1976 are stamped across the bottom of the Limited Edition Revere Ware pan, to commemorate the American bicentennial.

Now you know the mystery of Autumn woods.

Photograph copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.