I know I am not alone in deeming Fall as my favorite
season. It is hard to pin down a
specific reason why. The relief from the horrible humidity is a big part. It is nice to go for a 30 minute run and not
sweat for two hours afterward. I am not
into pumpkin spice, but I do enjoy Sam Adam’s Oktoberfest. Sure there is football. Even if your team has a bad season, it makes
you feel better about paying for cable.
Sure there is Halloween. Which,
in my opinion, is so enjoyable because it is a holiday about actually having
fun. There is no deep religious or
political meaning to fight over. It is
just stupid fun, which is something this world needs more of. And of course there is Thanksgiving, another
great holiday built around the great American past time of over eating, and not
ruined with commercialization, presents, or ridiculous pictures for social
media.
But for me, the best thing about Fall is getting back in the
woods again. In the South, Spring does
not come slowly. On the last weekend in
March, you are walking around the woods and notice a few sprigs of green
shooting out from under the brown carpet of leaves. One week later there are fresh briars and
poison ivy exploding in every sunny spot, and there are mosquitoes swarming in every
shady spot. The undergrowth grows and
grows. In a few weeks corn is planted,
and in a few more weeks the soybeans go in.
Getting out in nature off the well-worn path just becomes more and more
difficult and unpleasant, until eventually you just go to the pool.
But in the last week or so of August, if you know what to
look for, you see the change coming. You
see the undergrowth dying back. High in
the tops of the trees, there are a few leaves turning. You find a yellow tulip poplar leaf on your windshield. Even some of the poison ivy patches are
starting to turn red. The nights are
coming back. And then there is that
first morning with a low in the 50’s, and you breathe that first breath of cool
air that has touched your lungs since late April. The fields start to be harvested and the
trails are tromped down again. It is
time to explore.
So whether you hunt or hike or fish or mountain bike, this
is the time to dive back in. This is the
time to remember what it is like to stand under the trees and listen to the
wind. This is the time to enjoy the
sunshine instead of hiding from it.
Football is great, but let’s not waste too much time inside. And yes,
there are still some hot days and bugs left, but seriously, what else are you
going do? The pool is closing
anyway.
