22 August 2012

First Breath of Fall

We have all been studiously ignoring the signs; the air cools a bit more each day, and we say, "look at how sunny it is!" Spending time outside is undeniably more enjoyable in long sleeves, and we stubbornly cling to our sandals. Clusters of leaves here and there have made the leap from green to gold, but all of our neighbors religiously water their lawns and flowers daily, careful not to look up.

I can't deny it anymore: autumn is fast upon us. The breeze cannot be described as anything but brisk, yellow leaves have begun to journey from tree to lawn, and this morning, we woke up to the first frost.

The realization is bittersweet. Autumn is my favorite season and I rejoice to greet it, but it is also our shortest season: every falling leaf brings us irreversibly closer to the long, cold night of winter. The temperature should climb to 70* in today's afternoon sun, but will dip back into the 30s tonight.  It is time to think about bringing in the harvest, picking cranberries, hunting moose and caribou.

Today, though, I'm just going to celebrate the simple pleasures of fall by taking Little Bear for a walk:  we will be looking for yellow leaves, enjoying the crisp breeze that sings of pumpkins and cider to come, and reveling in the fact that my pre-pregnancy fleece jacket fits again!

1 comment:

  1. I guess you guys will be in for a "surprise" when you come down here and the leaves are still green! We usually don't reach peak until mid-October. Later if it's warmer out than normal.

    ReplyDelete