For some fall is about buying a new backpack or lunchbox, sharpening those pencils and sending your children back to school. For others fall is symbolized with tailgating and crowding into stands to cheer on your favorite football team.
While the pools have closed, fall sports have begun and school has been back in session for a few weeks now, fall did not in fact officially begin until yesterday, September 23rd.
So what does it mean the first official day of fall? Well it’s more than the beginning of a new season. It is the autumnal equinox. Equinox derives from Latin’s aquaeus meaning equal and nox meaning night, and is appropriate since this is the time of year when night and day are almost equal in length. This happens twice a year, once in the spring (March 21-22) and again in the fall (September 22-23), when the earth’s tilt is neither toward nor away from the sun.
The autumnal equinox has always been a time to mark change as we move from summer’s bounty to the colder, darker days ahead. Throughout the world and throughout history festivals have been held to celebrate the bounty of the harvest.While many people mourn summer’s passing, I always look forward to fall. It is probably my favorite time of year. I plant pansies and chrysanthemums, put out my scarecrow and some pumpkins. My family picks apples and enjoys exploring a local farm’s wagon rides and Maize Maze. We take walks in the woods, soaking up the reds, yellows and oranges that blaze festively from every tree, and go kayaking. I love the low hanging fog over the river in my backyard, the honk of geese and nothing says fall to me like the smell of a fire.
With the cooler temperatures I also feel revitalized, ready to get back into a more regimented routine and undertake those tough projects that may have been set aside while my kids were out of school. This year I’m tackling a historical that I set aside back in May.
So what about you? Is there a special way you and your family mark the changing of the seasons? And do you find you are more productive during the cooler months or the warmer part of the year?
Beautiful pics! I grew up in New England and I always loved the changing of the leaves and then having to rake them up. Of course, I used to spend quite a bit of time raking them into piles and then running and jumping into them too.
I find that my productivity really doesn’t have anything to do with the time of year. It’s all in my motivation.
Beautiful photos and description, Dana! Even if I didn’t like the fall (which I do), this blog post would make me what to live in the world you describe. Hey — maybe you should write a novel set in this season!
As to productivity, I think for me, it is also a function of motivation and time, rather than the season.
Thanks for stopping by Alexa and P.H.! I agree that motivation has a lot to do with productivity. I just find that I have more inclination to write when it cools off and my kids go back to school.
Hi Dana,I am with you. This is by far my favorite season. And I have to say as a temporary Virginian, I’ve never seen more beautiful fall colors than I have during my time here. But my fondest fall memory comes from back home in San Diego. We have a small mountain town called Julian up in the mountains of east county and every October they have their apple festival. Yep, everything you can think of that can be done/made with apples and they have it. Once I was pregnant and stationed in Oklahoma and I begged so badly that my mom Fed Ex’ed me a Julian apple pie. I was in heaven. And as for writing, I absolutely feel more productive this time of year. I think it’s because my favorite way to grow a new idea is by spending alone time with the characters in my mind and the cooler air, kids at school, changing sights and sounds just seem to make it the best time of year to do that sort of thing. Love your post and pictures. Welcome Autumn!!!
Carlene, that is awesome that your mom would Fed Ex you an apple pie! I love it! There are lots of places you should check out here in Virginia now that it’s apple season: Graves Mountain, Skyline Drive, Belevedere Plantation… I think you would really enjoy them.
I have just jotted those down and can’t wait to visit them. Thank you so much for the tips!
Dana, planned a family trip to Grave’s Mountain for their Apple Festival! I cannot wait! Thank you so much for the tip!
Thanks for this beautiful and thoughtful post. Fall is a wonderful time for us, as I love the trip to the orchard and making apple pies. It doesn’t make me feel like I should beginning a new project (there are too many iron in the fire already) but I can certainly appreciate that I’m turning over a new page .
Let’s hope for fabulous colors this season, so we can feel as vibrant as they look!
Thanks for stopping by Susan! I am totally with you on the too many irons in the fire. Sadly, the historical I’m going back to is something I have been working on for a year and a half. When I get bogged down in it I have been moving on to something else until I have a fresh perspective.
Fall is my favorite time of year also. I would be more than happy to trade July and August for another October or November. Something about the cool, crisp morning air that makes me appreciative that the oppressive heat of summer is behind us. I certainly feel more energized by fall than any other season.
Love those pics!!!
I heart fall – definitely my favorite season. Can’t wait until our weather cools off and perhaps we will see the sun again. (It’s been gloomy and overcast for about 2 weeks now.)
On my fall to-do list is finishing my Golden Heart entry, organizing my apartment and trying to get out to enjoy the season. 😉
Thanks for stopping by Derek and Kerri!
I’m with you Derek on trading in July and August–I prefer to breath my air not drink it and Virginia can get quite humid in the summer.
Kerri, I love getting outside to enjoy the weather. Maybe it will stop raining sometime before October. Best of luck finishing your Golden Heart entry, I know you’ll do great!