In spring I celebrate the new leaves of trees, green in so many shades.
Those of Beech trees I find particularly gorgeous.
American Beech
By summer it is obvious the leaves of trees are an important source of food for many other living things, part of the cycle of life in which we absorb and store the sun’s energy and pass it along the food chain.
The caterpillar of the Gray Furcula disguises itself as a chewed leaf!
Fall in Vermont! More than just gorgeous colors, of course, though they certainly are gorgeous.
It is also a time when leaves shut down as the trees prepare for winter. Part of that process, as fallen leaves decompose, is the recycling of nutrients that will be transformed into new leaves in the spring. The beauty I find in this part of the cycle may not be a fresh as the greens of spring or as flashy as a fall hillside, but it still has a beauty I find undeniable.
Still Learning To See 
As I look out at a wee bit of fresh snow, I’m struck by your sentence: “Part of that process, as fallen leaves decompose, is the recycling of nutrients that will be transformed into new leaves in the spring.” Those leaves are now dusted with snow as they continue their journey back into becoming earth again–as we all do. And so I want my ashes scattered beneath a tree, to become part of that mysterious cycle as well.
Beautiful photographs.
Beautiful words and photos. The cycle is a circle of beauty itself.