Rushing from the house, I stepped outside, took several hurried steps and stopped just a little short. It is only mid-September but one exhale showed a short puff of white. Fall has descended on us. The nip in the air dipped below freezing last night. It is a bit early but still it feels good.
I LOVE fall. It is my favorite season. The humidity usually dies away as the hint of winter nips at the wind. The fall flowers are persistently blooming. The trees start to shut down and show their brilliance.
Even the smells of fall are amazing. There seems to be a hint of wood smoke lingering even if we aren’t the ones having a fire. There is pumpkin with nutmeg and other fragrant spices. There is apple cider hot or cold to sip at with cinnamon.
Fall and harvest obviously go hand in hand. The crops are starting to dry for harvesting. The colors change and fade but don’t lose their appeal. The smell of drying corn as you drive the back roads makes you want corn on the cob. The bounty of the earth, the grains and fruits are plucked and stored.
September is just the beginning of this here in Wisconsin. The corn is still green, hasn’t gone that golden tan yet. There is a hint of a red gold as the sunset hits the tassels. Tomatoes plump and full of the summer sunshine are ready to be gathered from the vines. Will they be a fresh reminder of summer in the depth of winter as salsa or sauce? No matter the sweet fruit will be tasty when winter chills you to the bone.
Fall is the best time of the year…