Although Fall's official "move in" date is today, She has been sneaking stuff into her domain for a bit now. If you've been paying attention you would have noticed her subtleties.
Even before Fall started her own personal decorating, the signs that she was on her way were visible for us to see. The school buses busy on the roads like huge golden caterpillars, picking up and dropping off their charges ~ from home to school and back again. Diligent they are, yes indeed. In the air you have the crop duster who is out there soaring like a huge giant butterfly, readying the fields for the farmers for their fall and winter crops. He scoops and lifts no less gracefully than a Monarch. He too, is very busy, and very brave!
The farmers are loading pumpkins on their flatbeds to take to the local produce stands. The "you pick" mums are in full bloom, and the corn fields of summer may now give way to Fall's frolic in the Corn Maze!
Fall has also started picking the color pallet for her "home". She is testing out the reds, yellows, greens and browns on the trees, fields and bushes around her. A dab here, a dab there. The swatches are just a sample of what is to come. She's painted the moring sky with hues of pink and she's hung a harvest moon in the night sky ~ just for us ~ for our enjoyment. She will eventually have all the colors in place as she settles in for her stay. Once she has selected her pallet she will carefully, but quickly apply her selections to all things around her. She will decorate just quickly, for she knows Old Man Winter will do things his own way upon his arrival. And. . . she knows we need time to enjoy. And adjust.
If you have a keen sense of smell, you will notice the dampness that comes will Fall's arrival. The heavy dew on the ground leaves a musty smell on all it covers, especially in the shaded, wooded areas. The "hot" smell of Summer has faded away. You can smell the rotting melons in the fields, the ones that missed summer harvest, or were root rotted because of too much rain. Soon in their place will be the smells of burning leaves and wood stoves that are warming up homes kissed by cool nights, spice sprinkled goodies baking in the oven, and the cool crisp air that tingles as you breathe. A breath of fresh air, indeed.
One of the sounds that eluded to the fact that Summer was winding down and Fall was on her way was the sound of the Cicada. Almost an urgency to their music. "Hurry up and play. School and Fall are on the way!" As time wore on, the Crickets began their songs, nestled up against the house and under the bushes in hopes of finding shelter before Fall made her appearance. The crows make themselves known by perching on wires or hiding in trees, cawing to their cronies ~ feeling like a cross between Edgar Allen Poe's, The Raven, and Hitchcock's movie, The Birds! Then we have the honking of the geese (a more pleasant sound) as they fly over, moving from one field to the next, looking to fatten up before Fall opens her doors to Winter. The song birds of fall brighten her sunny days and remind us of seasons past and seasons to come. Fall is "uploading" her music before taking up residency amongst us. A beautiful orchestra that only she can conduct. The songs are always original, cleverly blended and free for the listening. And listen I do.
Fall is a sensation of escape - an escape into a gallery of color, sound and smell. She leaves no sense untouched. She is cautious of her responsibility to move us from Summer to Winter in a way that wraps us like a warm, fuzzy blanket. She loves her job. It shows in her handiwork. I love her! I cannot wait for her finished product ~ to bask in the results of her skills. I will miss her when she goes, but that's ok ~ she will be back. Of this I am certain.
No comments:
Post a Comment