Ahhhhhhhhhh..........

The smells, the colours, the crisp cool morning air. There’s nothing I don’t like about Autumn. Okay so the leaf raking is a bit much at times, but then again I don’t have to mow the lawn so much, so it’s a trade off. The smell in the morning with the moisture and the leaves all compressed by the cold into that distinctive smell of autumn. For many, the first thing they’ve smelled in months now that the frosts have knocked out all the pollen. The photography bug in me feeds off of the shifting landscapes and the riot of colours. A simple walk down the street is an adventure in hue and colour as you get to see all the trees shifting their look in preparation for the final molting. Unfortunately for those of you in England you likely can’t see all the colours through the mist that seems to fall every autumn and turns most things a muted shade of blah – although you get conkers and bonfire toffee too so it works out. And in Florida where they celebrate the arrival of Autumn by removing the plywood from their windows. The best part around here is that every day that same walk is always a little different. Sure it’s never quite the same each day for the rest of the year either, but it seems so much more this time of year.

Like the trees, I too am preparing for the winter. Storing up the beauty and splendor of nature until it marks its triumphant return in the springtime. I don’t have roots so I have to keep it all in my socks, but I manage. Sure I love the winter too, but living in the city means it’s more a celebration of frostbite and gray slush than it is rolling white landscapes and fun filled games all resulting from the white powder of joy. Besides there’s still fun with leaf ball fights and building fall men out of sticks and mud. Not to mention that most enjoyable of holidays for us unbalanced folk…….Halloween.

Lament your summer or embrace your colourful trees, the choice is yours. What are you doing to celebrate the arrival of Autumn at 12:03am EST?