Fall

In the last week, we've had a generous spell of perfect fall days. I'm reminded that one of the things that I love about New Jersey is the gentle transition to the next season. This is always most obvious to me in the fall, as the hot days fade and are replaced by a more gentle warmth. Those days are soon punctuated by cool mornings that demand a sweater and have a hint of the winter yet to come. The leaves slowly turn from a deep lush green to a bright red, yellow, or orange and then drift to the ground, now dried but still beautiful. The humidity is low and the warm air is soft, with a promise that I can sleep with the window open at night.

The warmth of an October day here is shallow. It doesn't quite last and at sunset, the air will quickly cool. I'll place an extra blanket at the foot of our beds, to be pulled up in the deep of a chilly night.


My garden was beautiful for most of the summer and I'm still picking zinnias and tomatoes and sitting outside for at least one mug of morning coffee. I'll need to cut the grass at least a few more times this month. Each time I collect a flower from outside, I wonder if it will be the last bloom of the season. But the summer vase on my kitchen counter remains full and bright and this week promises more days with temperatures in the 70s, so perhaps there is a flower or two yet to take its place in the vase, now next to a warm fall teapot.

I hope so. I find that I'm not quite ready to welcome winter's cold by saying goodbye to fall's last warmth.