Autumn is upon us! In theory, anyway. Here in south Texas,
there’s not much of an autumn to speak of anymore, but I have wonderful
memories of the season from when I was a child.
I remember the way the air started to cool, almost
imperceptibly, but there was a sense of warmth surrounding the season, the same
way the smells of fires burning in fireplaces makes a cold winter day seem
somehow warm.
I remember the leaves on our chinaberry tree turning gold,
orange, brown, and red. I remember them falling to the ground, hiding the green
of grass beneath the new colors of fall. My twin sister, Lacy, and I, along
with our friend, and neighbor, Jay, would gather twigs and rocks, sit among the
leaves in our front yard, and pretend to be out camping. The crunch and rustle
of leaves filled the air as we shuffled through them. We were warriors, fantasy
creatures, ninjas, royalty, anything our imaginations could conjure. And
although spring, summer, and winter provided unique opportunities for play, I
somehow remember autumn the most clearly.
Perhaps it’s because I yearn terribly for the season that
seems to escape me year after year. I want the crisp, cool air. I want to see
the leaves change and fall. I want to feel
the difference between the seasons instead of having only the near-constant
heat of spring and summer as they spread later and later into the second half
of the year. This yearning is what, on occasion, makes me think I’d like to
move somewhere generally cooler so I can experience distinct seasons again.
That, and the fact that I want to wander through beautiful forests like some
kind of faery, and there aren’t any beautiful forests where I live. Another
dilemma is all the amazing sweaters the stores sell around this time. I love so
many of them, but it’s so pointless to buy so many sweaters when I can only
wear them a couple days a year. It’s tough.
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| Autumn Leaves by Colin Brough |
To me, autumn is magical. I all too often, when working on
stories, make sure to build my timelines to include part of the season because
I’d much rather write about cozy sweater-wearing characters crunching through
leaves, sipping hot beverages, baking delicious pumpkin-based goodies, and
anticipating the holidays than any number of things that might take place in
spring or summer.
Plus. Plus! It’s the season of baking, steamy bowls of soup
or chili, hot cocoa, Halloween, Thanksgiving, warm colors, and so much more!
Lacy and I have already made a few pumpkin-based treats, like frosted
pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cinnamon roll pancakes. Honestly, for a season that
barely exists in this area, I look forward to it almost all year. My body is
ready for autumn…always.
So, what’s autumn like where you are? Do you have any
particular memories or thoughts regarding the season? Feel free to tell me all
about them! No matter how you feel about autumn, I hope it starts off
magnificently for you, and that it is full of delightful surprises.
Strangely,
Chantel
