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The Glories of Autumn

There is a quality of clarity in a September sky that cannot be repeated any other time of year. The color, the depth speaks of endings, of transition, of changes. Often, it is filled with flocks of transiting birds- ducks, geese, songbirds. The raucous honking of a ‘V’ of geese passing overhead in a brilliant September sky is the signature sound of the time.

This year, the summer was not quite as blazing hot as it was last year, but the humidity was quite high the season through. The result was that the trees remained green, and did not burn up from the heat or the dryness. They begin to hint at the glories to come in September- the tips of oaks and maples and ash turning various shades of red, orange and gold among the deep green of the pines.

As September segues into October, the colors deepen. The first chill begins to be felt in the early mornings. The light is gone from the morning commute until the change to Standard Time late in the month. Bright pumpkins on porches brazenly gaze out on sacks and piles of leaves ready for the local vacuum truck to come and take them away. Pickup trucks begin to be filled with the seasoned wood for the first fires, and the scent of woodsmoke replaces that scent of mown grass. Mingled with that is the last barbecue of the year, a burnt offering to the dying light.

I like shopping in autumn. The colors deepen, the pieces are sturdier, and the cuts are more generous than those of skimpy summer. Sandals and flip-flops disappear, making room for comfortable loafers and sturdy boots. There is an ambience in the stores not felt at any other time, that breathless pause between the madness of back to school and the insanity of the holiday season. Little hints of tinsel here and there give hints of what is on the horizon, as the Halloween gear vanishes.

By Halloween, the air conditioning should be off more than it is on, and the heat on only at night. The leaves pile up, and the newspapers are filled with food coupons for the Thanksgiving shopping. The stores begin their build up to the Holidays, and the chill deepens as the night closes in. Eggnog and other seasonal beverages find their way to the grocery store shelves, and magazines are full of hints for holiday entertainment.

Autumn is a powerful time of year. Even in the dying of the leaves, life goes on, and even as the light leaves the sky in the morning, it never leaves our eyes. There is a particular energy to fall- a scent and ambience that make it a special time of year. Apple cider, pumpkin pie, hot chocolate, candy corn, chili, turkey, heavy casseroles…corduroy, velvet, vests and boots…A blazing hearth…cool evenings… For me, it is the most wonderful time of the year.


September 23, 2001

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