“If you stand still outside you can hear it… Winter’s footsteps, the sound of falling leaves.”
If you looked up fall in the dictionary, they’d be a picture of today. The sun is shining, the sky is a pale blue and the breeze is brisk with a bit of a chill. Fall is in full burst. My front yard is filled with fallen leaves and pine needles. The grass doesn’t needed mowing any more. Yesterday my irrigation system was shut down for the season, and today I’ll clear the water from my back yard hoses. It’s time to close down the deck for the season though I’ll save a place to sit on a sunny day, my big wooden chair. I love fall, but I find it sad when fall begins to move toward winter.
Summer is always exuberant. It is warmth and colors and the sweet smell of flowers wafting through the air. Every morning I’d get the papers and then stop to look at my front garden. I’d lean against the car and marvel at the beauty of the flowers. I always noticed a few empty spots and would get excited at needing to buy new flowers. I can never have enough flowers. I’d finally pull myself away and go into the house, get my coffee and go outside on the deck. It takes me a long time to read the papers when I’m outside. I stop and watch the birds at the feeders and Gracie in the backyard. I listen to the singing. I raise my face to the sun and close my eyes. Summer fills me.
Fall always seems to have a faster pace than summer, and I think of October, nearing its end, as the bridge between fall and winter. Fall has a unique beauty when the leaves turn, and the trees are filled with color, muted color. My garden celebrates the season with fall flowers. The plants I put in last year were in full bloom this fall, and I was surprised as I had forgotten planting them. This year I added three more fall flowers, and they must have been happy to be planted as they bloomed a week or two later. Of all the seasons fall surprises me the most. The days are sometimes as warm as summer while the nights get downright cold. The sunlight slants in an odd direction. Darkness comes earlier and earlier.
My heat comes on in the mornings now. I can hear it as I’m waking up. The days seem to be warm enough to keep the furnace at bay, but I doubt that will last too much longer. Winter is coming.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: chill of the day, closing down the deck, coming winter, darkness, deck, fall flowers, fallen leaves and pine needles, flowers, furnace, heat, lovely fall day, newspapers, October, slanting sunlight, summer, warmth and color
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October 27, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Daylight saving time ended last night, it’s rainy and already dark outside. Not much Halloween around here, but watching Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires again this evening on TV is a pleasant duty.
October 27, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Birgit,
Next week daylight savings time end here. I seem to have more and more trick or treaters each year. Last year was the most ever. I’m all prepared this year!
I hate it getting dark so early.
October 27, 2013 at 3:01 pm
Gosh Kat, I am more than a little surprised to read that Lou Reed has left us at the age of 71.
October 27, 2013 at 3:52 pm
My Dear Hedley,
Thank you for telling me. Somehow I missed this. Such a talent!
October 27, 2013 at 5:14 pm
New Sensations , My friend George were so bright and open. The album New York was dark and foreboding…heck! I even liked “rock and roll animal”
October 27, 2013 at 6:07 pm
What’s that up in the sky? It’s the satellite of love — burning just a little bit brighter tonight.
October 27, 2013 at 6:56 pm
I didn’t buy Metal Machine Music…the word was out very early that it was a contract release.
October 27, 2013 at 9:29 pm
im6,
Perfect comment!!
October 27, 2013 at 4:17 pm
Sunny big parts of the day and unusually warm as well. I had the fire burning in my stove for a while, not because I needed to heat up my home but because I baked a bread. It’s way to warm in my bedroom right now 🙂
I still have one autumn aster that flowers in my garden and I have one that didn’t open up its buds. The frost was just too tough for that one.
We’re all waiting for the big storm coming. It is said to be worse than predicted and it comes earler as well. It seems however that it’s the most southern parts of Sweden that will be hit the hardest tomorrow evening. I won’t drive to work if it still blows hard on Tuesday morning, my little Mazda would be tossed of the road I’m afraid 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
October 27, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Christer,
I make pumpkin cupcakes today for tonight’s dessert. It has been a while since I’ve baked, and I enjoy it.
Still a bit chilly and getting dam.
I had several fall bloomers including the ever popular mums.
My sister has had snow already, but we haven’t been cold enough yet though northern parts of New England have had lots of frost. We had some rain, but that was it.
October 27, 2013 at 4:59 pm
And in north London Tottenham win on a penalty! and meanwhile at ford field America’s team get it done in the last minute
PUNT…your turn Boston 🙂
October 27, 2013 at 5:02 pm
MDH,
The Patriots did it in fine style! Bye! bye! Miami. Next to go the down-the Cardinals!
October 27, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Go get em Kat…no kicking people at 3rd tonight
October 27, 2013 at 5:07 pm
MDH,
I guess I’ll have to put my spiked high heels away!
October 27, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Spiked heels ? A bit hot
October 27, 2013 at 5:31 pm
It’s a lovely fall day, and the Cookie Monster and I are still snuggled in bed. I was sad to learn of Joe Reed’s death. I wish they would forget about daylight saving’s time– I don’t see that we save anything.
In a few hours I’ll be awake. I keep looking at Cookie who has her paws over her eyes and is so adorable. This is the first time she has spent this long on the bed with me.
Waving,
Lori or Lily
October 27, 2013 at 9:33 pm
Lori,
I can tell you’re not quite awake yet-Lou Reed passed away.
We’ll go back to being lighter at 5 instead of 6 when we change the clocks back. I’ll take it!
Cookie is content as only a cat can be!
Waving!!
October 27, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Hi Kat,
It’s way too late for comments. The day was bright blue sky behind screaming orange red leaves. It was breezy and a little bit chilly but bearable without a jacket. I managed one walk with Rocky and a lengthy chat with the neighbor while Rocky and the neighbor’s dog wrestled in the grass and leaves.
I’ve raked twice and the lawn guys have blown once. There are still leaves on the ground and more to come down from the trees. I surreptitiously shuffle through them now and then so that I can hear the crunch and get a whiff of fallen leaf smell. 🙂
Enjoy the day. Well, night now I guess. 🙂
October 28, 2013 at 12:36 am
Hi Caryn,
Not all that late for comments-the Sox game ended late, and now I’m watching the post-game.
I envy you those leaves. That just doesn’t happen down here. When I was a kid, I loved walking on the road beside the curb kicking leaves as I went.
Today I made pumpkin cupcakes for dessert. Every Sunday my friends and I get together, play games then watch The Amazing Race. We take turns doing appetizers and desserts. Tonight it was back and forth from the race to the Sox.
Sleep well!
October 28, 2013 at 12:24 am
Another exciting game that ended on a pick off play. Yesterday, an interference call and today a pickoff play both weird endings that never happened before in the long history of the World Series. It’s all tied up at two games each and I’m going to bed.
October 28, 2013 at 12:38 am
Bob,
You’re right. That’s exactly what my friends and I were talking about-two games ending in the weirdest ways.
The pick-off was the first for Uehara, and I have no idea what in the heck that runner was thinking.
This has been a great series so far!
October 28, 2013 at 8:17 am
beautiful music yesterday Kat, the days are growing crisp here as well.
October 28, 2013 at 10:49 am
Thanks, splendid.
Last night was quite cold, in the 30’s. I loved my warm comforter.