Well, this Saturday past, September 23, ushered in fall with the arrival of the Autumnal Equinox. On this day, the rotation of the Sun shifted to its midpoint in the journey, on the way to the southern hemisphere. In other words, the sun’s highest point now is at the equator, and the result for us in the northern hemisphere is the transition to fall – equal day, equal night – equinox.

As with the arrival of spring and the Vernal Equinox, the weather and sunlight effect are uneven in the northern hemisphere. Those closest to the equator still feel summer-like while those of us further north feel a climatological shift in temperature and moisture levels. Soon, by the first day of winter, the folks in the southern hemisphere will begin their “summer.”

The glory of fall where I live (driftless, tri-state region) is the colors and the palpable shift in temperatures.  In fall, the air conditioning comes off, the furnace is not yet on, and the windows are open.  Supplemental heat comes from a fireplace and/or a fire pit outside. 

The air has been cleansed of wildfire smoke from Canada now, and the smells have transitioned to leaves, less grass, and local woodsmoke. If you are lucky enough to live near one of the many orchards (apple) around, the smell of fresh, ripe apples is also present.

Some activities now require a light sweater or sweatshirt but generally only for the early part of the day or later into the evening. Rain is the dominant moisture now, and big storms in this area, the tornadic kind, are rare.  The prospect of an early snow is not too far away.

The grass is green but growing slower.  The annual flowers are basically done flowering to a large extent save the mums.  They are plentiful and gorgeous.  Bushes like sumac and burning are transitioning to oranges and reds – glorious.

Food favorites begin to change.  I still grill and will all year long, but now, I integrate chilis and stews and soups to the menu.  I also will bake pies and tarts with the apples we picked, not too long ago.  Weekends consist of large-scale cooking projects so that future weeknight meals and family (extended) meals are rich with goodies, sufficient for everyone to have a leftover.

Fall also hosts my two favorite holidays – Halloween and Thanksgiving.  My super favorite is Halloween, and my wife and I decorate for the season almost as much as we do for Christmas.  The childhood fun of Halloween with the candy traditions, the spooky costumes, and the scary stories and movies is soul-filling stuff.  We’ll host an adult gathering where candy is available as are treats and tricks of various assortments.

As readers can probably tell, I am a big fan of fall.  If I could, I would bottle September and October for repeat, most of the year.  I like summer too, but the hottest, most humid days, I can skip.  Winter is nostalgic until mid-January, and I can pass the rest of the season.  Winter where I live can be cold and rather dismal, missing much sun for weeks on end.

So, I’m going to relish fall as long as I can.  I marvel at the sunsets now, the foliage color shifts, the smells of wood fires, the pumpkins I’m soon to carve, and the menus that I continue to adjust.  The first fall pot roast is glorious! 

Not many road trips left in our convertible but during the week, I’ll opportunistically watch the weather forecast for the weekend and if clear, I’ll gather a picnic lunch and my wife, and we’ll hit the road.  Maybe we’ll catch a fall festival or two or a fall farmer’s market for some home baked goodies and a few decorative gourds, etc. The time is waning to be road-trippin’ as by mid to late October, a convertible ride can be chilly.

Wherever each reader or follower may be, I hope that fall embraces you with its glory and beauty as it does for me.  Celebrate autumn and, of course, HAPPY HUMP DAY!