Fall has finally arrived. It seemed to arrive slowly this year, but finally the hills are turning gold and maples are starting to show off their brilliant red. I can’t say that fall is my favorite season—each and every one offers something wonderful—but fall certainly is one that offers simple pleasures.
Fall doesn’t have the drawbacks of other seasons, there’s no downside to autumn. It’s not winter cold, making it hard to be outside. It doesn’t make roads and sidewalks slippery. Fall is a fairly safe season.
Summer is splendid because it is so brief and gives the chance to be out on the water. But fall is a welcome relief from summer, with its heat, sunburn, busyness and bugs.
Spring is welcome too, after winter, with the appearance of pussy willows and the greening of the hills. But with spring comes mud and with dogs, that is a definite downside.
So I am enjoying our golden hillsides and the splashes of red. I love walking through the grass in the fall with the colorful carpet of leaves. I have a huge collection of pressed leaves in books—I’m sure I will be unable to resist adding to it this year.
As I was driving to work this week, a lovely aspen leaf attached itself to my windshield. It stuck there for a few minutes and then fluttered off into the forest.
It was a lovely gold and it made me smile. Not just because it was pretty, but because it reminded me of a leafy experiment with my grandkids.
Last year I was traveling somewhere with a car full of kids—five to be exact, RaeAnne, Genevieve, Carter, AnnaBelle and Eloise. As we rode along, a leaf decided to become a hitchhiker. It too was an aspen leaf, a shimmering gold with just a tinge of green remaining at the tip.
One of the kids noticed and wondered how long the leaf would stick there. I don’t remember what our destination was. But because it was fall and because I had all of the grandkids, I’m thinking I was giving them a ride to soccer.
The leaf stubbornly held on during the ride to town. I dropped the kids off at our journey’s end and they asked me to keep track of the leaf. They wanted to know how long the leaf would ride around on the windshield of my car.
Amazingly, the leaf held fast for several days. I gave individual grandkids rides on different days and each time the first thing they looked for was the leaf. We were all astonished that the leaf stayed there, an exquisite fall adornment on my car.
The leaf finally let go when I had to make a trip down Highway 61 to Lutsen. The higher speed of the highway finally created enough momentum to get the leaf to fly off.
It was silly, but it made me a little sad. The grandkids too were disappointed to find the leaf gone on their next ride in my car. It was fun while it lasted.
Perhaps that is the downside to fall. There is nothing bad to say about the season other than it is over all too soon. Enjoy autumn while you can!
I’m so glad I live in a world
where there are Octobers.
L.M. Montgomery
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