Feelings of Fall

As September begins, the season begins to shift from the warm, sun drenched days of summer. The air gets colder, the sun starts to rise later and set earlier. The sunsets are reflected in the chilly lake water as fires in hearths are mirrored in the leaves of the trees.

Fall is probably my favorite time of the year. The weather, the spirit of the harvest season, the winding down of the summer while adventures in the mountains are still being planned and partaken.

However, the fall season is also tied in with the start of the school year. Some people may be happy about this, others less so. Nevertheless, for many, fall symbolizes a time to get 'back to the books'. This year, back to school marks the beginning of my 14th year of education--Sophomore year of college. I may have over-scheduled myself, as I am apt to do, with a 19 credit course load (3 labs), a part-time job, while participating in club activities, and finding time to hang out with friends. Let's just say I know how to keep busy.

Anyways, amidst this chaotic time of my life, I wanted to take some time to appreciate the wonderful things nature and the changing of seasons have to offer. Below is a rambling list of some of my favorite things about the fall season. I hope they invoke some nostalgia or wistfulness of the autumnal months. If you have anything you would like to add to the list, please write in the comments below the post! I always love to hear other people's thoughts.

Fall

Harvest season

Colorful leaves dropping slowly from the trees

The smell of mulch and the earth

Warm fires, embers flying high in the night sky

Fuzzy blankets to cuddle in

The time when the air turns crisp, you can almost taste it

Westerly winds, beckoning-

Pumpkins, orange and round and white and plump

Halloween

Apples, sometimes made into cider or a crumble

The few aspens turning yellow, the sound of their leaves rustling in the wind

Rust and burgundy mums

Plums, deep purple, ripe and juicy

Carmel and spice and everything nice

Autumn squash soup with pumpkin seeds on top and nut-filled bread on the side

Apple cinnamon muffins, hot out of the oven

Thanksgiving, families and friends gathering together

Gratitude for this beautiful world we live in

A steaming mug of Chai tea

Battered old sketchbooks with ink-scratched drawings

Misty mornings, the fog hanging in the valleys

Deep evergreens appearing as the deciduous trees loss their leaves

Sheep in the misty moors

Marigold scarves layered over jean jackets

Golden retrievers dancing in leaf piles

Tortoiseshell glasses peering over library books

Vintage plaid print pants and worn, brown Oxford shoes stepping on coblestones

Pie cooling on the windowsill

Country hearths with welcoming fires for all the strangers who pass by

Falling in love with so many things at once.