What is it about Fall?

Living in Phoenix Arizona, it feels like we have only 2 seasons – Spring and Summer. Summer, of course is HOT. Melting hot. Smoldering hot. Ridiculously hot. Frying eggs on concrete hot. It, as everyone knows, is a “dry heat” summer. Doesn’t matter to me that it’s a dry heat – it’s still too hot and I have grown to not only dislike it, but I hate it (and I really don’t like using the word “hate” at all). By the time that September mosies along, we are all ready for the heat to be gone. We want it wadded into a tight ball and thrown back into the past tense as far as we can throw it.

The rest of the year is beautiful. Gorgeous. Pretty. Not too cold. Not too hot. But there is truly something missing in the seasons of Phoenix, like a calendar that’s missing a whole section. And that section is Fall. Since there are not many deciduous trees in our Phoenix neighborhoods, I have always missed the changing colors. There are browns and greens on trees, but not many other colors – the kinds of colors that resembles fall.

At our cabin, we are surrounded by trees. Ponderosa pines. Oak. Aspen. and an array of other trees I’m not sure of – except they do change colors. Beautiful colors. Glorious shades of red, gold, yellow, and brown. Another one of God’s gifts to us every year. And it’s ours for the taking. No entry fee. No long lines. No dress code. No reservations. Just get in your car and drive to the where the trees are. Roll your windows down. Breathe in that smell of fallen leaves and moist earth. Feel the brisk fall air, the promise of approaching winter. Smell the smoke from chimneys and let it trigger your memory. Remember falling into a freshly raked pile of brown leaves, the smell of burning leaves and watching the smoke come out before the flames. Remember standing around, leaning on a rake, watching the leaves burn, shrinking the remnants of fall into fragrant vapors of smoke. Remembering is such a sweet reminder of days gone past.

All of those memories come back to me each fall – many I had forgotten until my first fall season here at the cabin. I bask in those sweet memories and look forward to the journey through these fall months as summer gets thrown into the past and fall pushes it’s way with its glorious entry into winter.

Bask in it. Revel in it. Appreciate the beauty of it. Capture each spectrum of color in your mind, for it is a blessing in its simplicity. And simplicity is what we are after.

Simply yours,

K