Friday, August 22, 2008

Fall is (technically) Coming

I saw the first Monarch Butterfly today. I always rejoice when I see them because it means that summer is drawing to a close. While I love parts of summer: gardening, Livvie playing in the pool... fall is my favorite season.

When I was a kid I waited every year for the smell of mouldering leaves. Every October I would be ecstatic, because Halloween was coming. It wasn't about the candy. It was about the smell in the air and the crispness and the apples about to become a pie.

Since I've moved to NC I've lost a great deal of that. The air here doesn't begin to cool down until about mid-October, and the leaves don't really start falling until then either. Fall here is quick, it lasts about a month, before the wetness and dreariness of winter arrives. It's the only thing I don't like about living here.

In a month or so I will start pruning my plants back and mulching them for the winter. I will start laying in supplies of apples and oatmeal to make apple crisp (I usually don't buy apples out of season). I'll buy more molasses to make spice cookies. I'll be putting out corn for the deer. And for now, I'll be watching for more monarchs to make my day complete.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fall is my favorite season too, and for the same reasons. We are lucky here in New Mexico, it lasts
a bit longer.

Em said...

I grew up in Southern California so no major seasonal differences... I moved to the east coast like 15 years ago and experienced the big changing of the seasons for the first time and while I do recognize the beauty and the feeling of excitement in the air when the weather changes... I'd take San Diego weather every day any day.

Cyn said...

This post makes me wish I enjoyed Fall. I always think Fall=school starting=doom.

jennyquarx said...

I love Fall too. It is starting already, some trees are already changing. I need my fall to start in early September. Of course I don't get to see a lot of monarchs. I guess it's a fair trade. Enjoy and take lots of pictures.