Why Bother Noticing Autumn?
Summer is now officially over and Fall, my favorite season, has begun. The sky turns a deeper shade of blue, the heat from the sun mellows and the deciduous trees begin to show hints of red, and yellow. Although I know Autumn is the prelude to winter, I do not think too far ahead. Instead, I savor this particular season for all its glorious beauty.
What Autumn Offers?
Autumn begins on September 22 and ends on December 21, when winter equinox begins. Columbus Day, Halloween, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving are some of the memorable holidays we get to celebrate along the way.
The sun takes longer to rise and now a harvest moon or headlamp lights up my early morning jogging path. I’ve exchanged my running shorts and t-shirt for warmer layers and condensation from the chilly air collects on my fleece. The smell of cold damp air replaces the scent of warm asphalt.
I no longer walk around outside in bare feet or sandals. Instead, I crave the warmth of socks and shoes for my toes. Our summer diet of grilled fish and white wine dinners at our picnic table in the backyard change too. Now I cook heartier foods like spaghetti, and chicken soup. A glass Cabernet Sauvignon replaces the chilled chardonnay and we sit inside, where it is warm.
The hummingbird feeder is stored away until next summer and the empty space at our window is instead filled with the color from our next door neighbor’s maple tree. Like a fall bouquet of color, I get to enjoy it until its leaves fall to the ground.
Summer is behind us with its long luxurious days of sunshine. Now there are only brief moments of warmth in a twenty-four hour period. Though I want to capture some of these sunny September moments and bring them out again in January, I know I can’t. So instead, I am motivated to drink in all that I can of what Autumn offers me right now.
Why bother noticing Autumn? It is worth noticing the obvious beauty of Fall and storing up its images in our minds because soon enough it will be replaced by the harshness of the winter season.