Autumn's Homecoming
“This strange still pause between summer and autumn, greenery and gold, and the heat and the rising wind that is once again readying itself to rush it all away in a climatic symphony of color and scent is – in my opinion, one of the best parts of living on earth.” – Victoria Erickson
Hello Dear Friend,
The taste of fall has made its way into the air of the Carolina hills. I for one, embrace her with welcoming arms like the long-anticipated arrival of a dear friend that has finally rolled back into town. As the humming sound of lawn mowers and tractors make there final lazy passes through neighboring landscapes the crows have decided to take up temporary residence in my back yard, crying out to announce that the harvest season has begun. The time has come, autumn is waking as summer steps back and lulls herself to sleep.
As Mother Nature slows down to begin the annual journey towards her hibernation, I feel like I’m being awakened from a long slumber. I yearn for lazy evenings gathered among loved ones camped out around a firepit as soft chatter and laughter fill the air. I enjoy the solitude of a night spent out on the porch cradled into blanket watching the night sky as I listen for the rustling sound of an Autumn zephyr weaving her way through the trees to tickle the leaves. I love waking up to a chilly morning as a soft song comes from my windchimes drifting through the open windows carrying with it the tunes of the bird’s melodies as they greet the dawn of a new day.
Well, this letter seems to be turning into somewhat of a love letter to Autumn but I can't help it. Last weekend I spent my Saturday on a date with nature. I awoke to some cooler weather and ventured up to the mountains for a quick hike. As my little Element climbed her way further and further uphill, the sky began to look darker and more gloomy. What happened to the blue skies I'd left at the bottom of the mountain?
"It's looking kinda ominous out there," I stated to my mom who rode shotgun and was my adventure buddy for the day.
"It does!" She agreed. "But it isn't supposed to rain I don't think. We'll be alright." She assured me as we continued traveling.
I pulled into a parking space and put on my sweatshirt and hiking boots. Phones, check. Water bottles, check. Car keys, check. We were ready to make our way around the lake. Unfortunately, the overcast skies didn't make for great picture taking and we did find ourselves in some mist and light drizzle from time to time before we made it around the lake and back to the car. But even though the weather conditions weren't the best, there was a mystical beauty to our walk and it became a bit of a scavenger hunt as we came across various native flowers, wild mushrooms and the evidence of trees about to be overthrown by beavers and woodpeckers. The fallen leaves were just beginning to cover the path with vibrant colors having yet to be crushed and ground into the dirt path beneath them.
After our walk in the woods we decided to head over to a nearby mountain town to check out the monthly Art in the Park event going on downtown. We walked the street leisurely moving from booth to booth looking at what each artist and crafter had to offer before grabbing some lunch and heading home.
We arrived back to my house and divided the mid-afternoon between sitting on my back porch and sitting in air conditioning waiting until it was time for an evening of celebration in honor of our community college's 60th anniversary. The celebration included food trucks, outdoor games, laughter, conversation, and hours of live music before concluding with a pretty impressive firework show.
My Sunday was spent in relaxation. After church I had some quiet time with God, reading my devotions, drinking a poor man's mocha (drip coffee and hot chocolate), and still enjoying the cooler fall like weather before making some pumpkin waffles for brunch. It's days and weekends like these when I feel most alive.
This is my time, this is my season, this is my favorite time of year – everything is better in the fall! It's the beauty that comes in slowing down and embracing the gift of life. Nothing special, nothing grand, just enjoying and celebrating the day to day and the fact that there's breath in your lungs. I feel like it comes with every Autumn season, it's as if the world is passing off the baton and handing over her energy to me just before she drifts off to sleep until springtime comes around again. But before she goes, she promises one last hooray!
Like Bilbo Baggins throwing himself an epic farewell birthday party for his eleventy-first birthday just before he disappears from Hobbiton, in the beloved classic by J.R.R. Tolkien, the earth throws her own grand party. Her celebration is called Autumn and the season longs to celebrate before the slumber of winter takes over.
Her invitation arrives when the dawn breaks, bursting forth in vibrant hues of pinks, oranges, and yellows as the chilly morning beckons you to come out in your coziest attire to play. The geese fly overhead announcing her coming as they migrate further south. Smoke trails escape through chimney tops as the scent expands county wide, collecting with it the aroma of dying leaves, damp air, and campfires.
The harvest season is upon us! Last weekend was just a teaser for me like a pre-kick off for what's to come. In just a few short weeks farmers will open their gates welcoming us to come over for a visit. We’ll pick a bushel of apples from their apple orchards, search the pumpkin patches for the best pumpkin to carve, go on a hayride that tours the farm, escape from their corn maze, and sample some hot apple cider, jams, cheeses, and other assorted goodies.
Now that it’s sweater weather, we’ll spend our evenings creating and indulging in all the comfort foods and as night falls, we’ll light all our fall scented candles and sip on some hot cocoa or tea as we dive under our blankets. We'll get cozy, building a nest on our sofa's before hunkering down for the evening to watch all the feel-good seasonal Hallmark movies and get scared silly by an October thriller.
During the next couple of months, we’ll venture off the beaten path to look at the sea of colorful leaves and get lost in the woods with the sole purpose of enjoying the beauty of the season. We'll explore all the smalltown festivals - there's so many to choose from! We'll sing along to live music and have our picture taken with the band. We'll support both local and traveling artists as we search their booths for that one unique thing we can't seem to live without. We'll check out the food vendors and pick between different cuisines for something delicious to sink our teeth into. We'll dress in layers and sip on something warm as we walk around the fairgrounds watching the Ferris wheel turn round and round. We'll step back into time, eat a turkey leg and cry out "Huzzah!" during a jousting tournament at the Renaissance festival.
We all know far to well that this season tends to be short lived and bitter sweet. While she's here, let's celebrate! Let's embrace Autumn's homecoming and accept her invitation to attend the party she's throwing. Let's dance under the moon, throw colorful leaves like confetti, have a bonfire party, go on a camping adventure, hike to new places, and test out that new recipe.
I'm not sure about you, but I often forget we aren't offered a dress rehearsal in life and over the past couple of weeks I'm being reminded of that. This is it. This is the show. Too often I forget that I'm the leading character in my story instead of a participating extra. Life is happening now with all it's up and downs, plot twists, guest stars, various scene locations and wardrobe changes. Life is beautiful in it's entirety and although it's ever changing we're meant to celebrate that change. Just like we celebrate the changing of the calendar seasons let's celebrate the changing seasons in life. So as the page turns from summer to fall let's take a lesson from natures playbook and learn to embrace and celebrate ever season. Let's begin by exploring and experiencing all this season has to offer.
With love,
Comments