A Tribute to Turning Leaves

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Joanne Edith

Written in for NaBloPoMo October: Fall posted by BlogHer.
Prompt for October 1 – what is your favorite thing about Autumn?

I love Autumn.

I love the falling leaves and resplendent colors; and the cool nights and bright days. In particular, I love the unique quality of the light as daytime hours are imbued with a sparkling clarity, while cool, clear evenings allow dazzling views of the firmament.

I love harvested apples, pumpkins and gourds; and filling my pie tins and cake pans with their colorful fruit. And I love the Sunday aroma of a slow roast in the oven, and freshly baked bread on the cutting board.

I love planting mums in place of the leggy, summery begonias and then sitting back in my rustic Adirondack chair, sharing a glass of wine, without the annoyance of pesky mosquitoes coming in for a bite; just as I love dodging acorns torpedoes, while watching my bird-feeder-raiding squirrels, industriously gathering them up to stash away in my large deck planters.

I love hearing the sound of the rehearsing high school band from a distance, through my open windows (I also love that AC is turned off) preparing for the Saturday football game. And as the October and November sports schedules pick up, I love watching my grandsons jockey their TKD schedules to accommodate season-ending baseball and season-opening soccer practices. I secretly rejoice that my daughter is the one responsible for making sure the uniforms are washed and ready to go. And as October wanes and blustery November breezes in, I love sitting on the sidelines of their soccer games on a chilly morning, wrapped in a chunky hand-knit sweater, sipping steamy hot chocolate from a thermos cup.

I love transferring logs from the woodpile to the back porch and lighting the first fire. I revel in waking to the smell of burning wood that permeates the neighborhood – telling me that hubby has my morning coffee waiting on the hearth, downstairs.

Most of all, I love autumn because it has always been a time of fresh beginnings for me. You can keep your New Year’s Day resolutions and all the to-do about turning over a new leaf. The absolute best time for turning leaves is autumn. Since my childhood days when new pencil cases, sharpened No.2 pencils, and Lone Ranger book-bags signaled the return to school, it was the chance to begin anew – with a new teacher, a new grade, perhaps a new school, and a new slate (literally and figuratively). Anything was possible.

An insistent rhythm churns inside me – ticking like a metronome’s predictably reliable clicking. It subtly reminds me that the human spirit is inexorably driven by circadian rhythms. I am once again enthused and renewed with the confident knowledge that anything – everything is possible.

This is why I love Autumn.

Category: Creative Writing, NaBloPoMo, Photography, Poetry, Well-struck NotesTags: Autumn, Back to School, NaBloPoMo October, New Beginnings, Photograph, Renewal, Turning Leaves

6 Comments on “A Tribute to Turning Leaves”

holley4734
October 2, 2013

Love the photos!! 🙂 holley4734.wordpress.com

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- BCIJo (aka Joanne Edith)
  October 2, 2013
  
  Thanks, Holley. And thanks for stopping by.
  
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Sanderella's Crochet
October 1, 2013

I think you had a great post, and I enjoyed it very much! Happy Fall!! Sandy

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- BCIJo (aka Joanne Edith)
  October 2, 2013
  
  Thanks, Sandy…and I love your blog name. Of course, I’m a bit obsessive about knitting and crocheting. I’ll hop on over and visit your site. Thanks so much for commenting.
  
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Melissa Alvarado
October 1, 2013

Good post. Beautiful photos. I like the autumn season too. ~Melissa

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- BCIJo (aka Joanne Edith)
  October 2, 2013
  
  Thanks, Melissa. It was difficult limiting my autumn photos. One of these days I’ll have to put up a gallery.
  
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