Fall

What a wonderful time of year! That magic time between the early days of September and the waning days of November. I’ve lived many places in this country, on the Pacific coast, in the Rockies of the west, in the cities and towns of the midwest and the east and in every case, my favorite time of year is fall. For me though, my favorite place for fall is in the midwest or east and it is all about the air.

The air, let me try and describe it. Sit back, close your eyes (after you read this of course) and imagine a day, a day not too far past the heat and heavy mugginess of late summer. This day is sunny with bright blue skies. Because the air is so dry and clear all the colors have been turned up a notch. You can feel a certain excitement in the air, that excitement of change. The change of seasons, the change of nature that is so vibrant around you.

Feel the crispness in the air, the heat of the sun against you face mixed with that tinge of coolness that lingers just so slightly in the air. You can smell the leaves from the nearby trees and catch a hint of other smells. Of farmer’s fields that have been harvested and yards with piles of leaves and the last cuttings of the year.

If you’re lucky, you will experience this kind of day in a convertible, on a motorcycle or bicycle or by just walking and soaking it in. If you’re really lucky on this day of adventure, you may wander into a small town that has a fall festival going on. This will be a festival filling the streets of the town with various booths and attractions, crowded with locals and visitors alike.

Added to the fall air of this town will be the smells of all sorts of delicious foods that seem to only be available at these sorts of events. Think deep fried things of all sorts and varieties, huge pretzels, turkey legs, homemade pies and cakes, hot dogs, brats, cider and maybe even that Octoberfest beer. There will be the sounds of folks enjoying the fall day and the sounds of the festival that brought them out of their homes to enjoy one another and that crisp fall air.

All these smells and sounds get blended together and leave you glad you are there. Glad to be in that moment, in that town. But, there is one more thing, one of the most import things that is part of the fall air and that is the sun. Yep, the sun! You see, on fall days like these, you can feel and smell the sun in the air. Maybe it is the seasons changing or all those other things I’ve mentioned above that causes this sensation, I don’t know. I just know it is there.

Finally, if you are enormously lucky, you’ve gotten to spend this day with someone you love. They’ve experienced that same air, that same small town, that same motorcycle, riding down a twisting two lane road through the crimsons and golds and oranges and auburns and all the other colors that fall brings to the rolling hills and narrow valleys of this area of the country. They’ve seen the colors that have been mixed and focused by that wonderful air until it has burned their eyes and your eyes to the point of reaching deep into both of your souls.

These are days that I forever cherished in my heart. Special days spent with the ones I love. Special days that provide that wonderful gift of crystal clear air filled with all the aromas and scents and sun of a changing season called Fall.