Oh, I know. Trust me - Having Vinnie as a brother has made me think of things from a plant's perspective a lot! I guess probably that's why I like to think of the trees and plants going to sleep for a while instead of dying. If they're going to come back in Spring, it's sort of like hibernation. I like that idea a little more than some kind of massive die off.

[Some plants did die. He knew that. Annuals that lived fast and died young, throwing out buds in the spring and seeds in late summer and then withering away to nothing when the oak leaves started to fall. But that was just their life cycle, after all. They lived a shorter life than many, a longer life than some, and had fun while they were around.]

Autumn is also when a lot of trees put out their seeds. Acorns and beech nuts and pinecones and stuff. If you look at it like that, it's almost like... Well, they say Spring is the time when things really come to life? But that's sort of just when we notice things coming to life. It's easier to spot a little tree growing out of the ground than it is to see a little acorn, cuddled up in the fallen leaves. But they're sort of the same thing, you know?

[He should know. He'd eaten his fair share of cuddled up acorns. Aw.]