“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So, I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.”
– Nathaniel Hawthorne, American poet
What wonderful words to welcome the new Fall season. Today, I did just that, welcomed it, in all its glory; clear skies, early morning dew and a crispness in the air that snaps your lungs to attention.
Earlier this week, our house prepared for the change, as well. The air conditioner was retired, window screens removed, the furnace inspected, and most importantly, the oven reported for duty.
Welcome, Fall!
The much appreciated and long-awaited aromas of baked goods returned with scents of apples, cranberries and pumpkins for cakes, breads and muffins. Spices aroused my sensory receptors like perfume on a delicate nape. My salivary glands stirred from their summer sleep, anticipating the coming feasts. Surely, a measure of discipline will be required to maintain my belt size.
Maples and oaks will treat us to their final burst of fiery red, bright yellow and sparkling orange before laying bare their limbs to the certainty of winter. Blankets of grass will succumb to frosts and begin their seasonal dormancy, a relief to my tired lawnmower.
Welcome, Fall!
Hiking trails will become colorful murals and deer will be forewarned of intruders in their woods by the crunching of dried leaves underfoot.
Local farms will welcome us into their orchards for apple picking and cider tasting. We’ll sample the delicious fruit as we pick from trees, filling our bags with the sweet and tart varieties, intent on eating our daily quota to ‘keep the doctor away’.
Small town farmers markets become destinations for fun excursions. Families will mix and greet amid just picked greens, ripe tomatoes, a plethora of squashes and apples, fresh-baked pies and fall plants, while everyone’s favorite, the pumpkins with their long, twisty stems, wait to be carved and decorated with scary Halloween faces.
Fall, the season to lay gardens to rest and prepare their beds for the harsh winter. And, as Hawthorne opined, we will enjoy the Autumn sunshine with walks in the woods, shopping at outdoor art festivals, or raking leaves. We will breathe the crisp air and succumb to the beauty of the season…at least until kickoff, because, alas, Fall is football season.
Yes, welcome, Fall!
(photos by Dick Moss)
S'amusing 
You summed it up beautifully. A wonderful time of the year.
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Thanks, Jim. And now the trees are starting to change. Will be beautiful.
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What a colorful, crisp picture you’ve painted of my favorite time of the year
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I remember the rides we took to see colors…maybe it was to get something to eat and we just saw the colors along the way. But it was pretty around Wachusett Resevoir. Thank you!
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I’m with you on the belt size! That fall weather makes me want to cook and bake:). A beautiful description of a beautiful season. If I wasn’t in the middle of it, I’d want to go find it based on your writing here.
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Wow, what a nice comment. Thank you. Falls only downfall is that it leads you into winter. But it’s a beautiful time of the year.
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Steve,
‘a crispness in the air that snaps your lungs to attention —‘
I sucked your description of Fall right off the page. ———
Then the other side of my brain kicked in. The 22 degree Tilt of the earth’s axis and its eliptical path of travel was not a design flaw – it was the design feature by the romantic aspect of ‘Nature’ that brought us the beauty and veriety of seasons. We are lucky to be in this geographic Zone where all 4 seasons come in thier full glory.
Dursh
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Dursh,
You should’ve the writer. You are so witty and I look forward to your comments. You and I represent the best of a sales/engineer relationship. Would have been fun traveling together for work. Is so the schmoozing and you do the difficult technical work. Would have worked well…
See you soon, Steve
Missing the Y today have to take the dog to the vet for what we think is a tick.
>
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Great comment, Dursh, and I’m lucky to have you as a friend with your wit and wonderful insight.
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Steve! You’ve done it again! Kept me smiling through the whole piece! You really should enter your writing in a contest! Love it! And now I love Fall!
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Bani, if I could write as good as you teach, I would have won all the contests. Thanks for your kind comments and support.
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Well you should tell people to look at your pictures on instagram. It’s a way to demonstrate you like automn
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Good idea…do you like autumn???
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