Autumn is...

Autumn is the brilliance of fall leaves, the smell of wood smoke on the air, the flight of geese heading south, the absolutely crisp, clear air, McIntosh apples and cider, the smell of the earth as you ready the garden beds for slumber, the time to give thanks for the abundance of the land, my favorite time of year.

Autumn means being able to sleep with the windows open, no more worrying about approaching hurricanes, and longer days in the yard since it's no longer 90 at noon!

Time to clean up garden..Don't like loosing my tomatoes & the thought of winter is close..Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

leaf collecting and autumn asters,

Autumn is happy at colorful trees, no more bugs, cooler nights and fires in the pit at night.

Autumn is sad with the closing of the perennial beds for the winter sleep, dragging in tropicals,etc.


Autumn is despised in this area of the country when you think of snow and cold, cold and snow. Unless you snowmobile then winter is welcomed. Not by me though. Do not like cold, snow, cold snow.

Then why do I live here then? Dad transplanted us here 40-some years ago. This is where my family is, so this is where my heart is.

Winter is coming, snow and more snow; hopefully, no ice this season! Oil bill high!!!

Hear ya on the price of oil heating gf We heat with oil as well oh I hate the thought of the heating bills every winter...............

My favorite season! Coolness, beautiful fall colors, picking up leaves (boo!), good time to plant & transplant (yay!).

Voting "other" for wistfully sad. The sad part is the end of long days, sunshine, warmth. The wistful part is the intense colors the leaves turn and the beautiful blooms as plants wind down their growing season.

Autumn is feeling like I can't get enough sleep, wanting to eat all the wrong foods ~ fatty, high carb foods. Suffering the urge to hibernate! LOL

Come on springtime!!!

It time to plant the spring-blooming bulbs sooner for next spring time to see all blooming...

Autumn is very nice to be outside at evening...

Rake up for leaves mulch some plants for wintertime!


This message was edited Sep 28, 2009 7:40 AM

podster, get a therapy light, you have SAD - seasonal affective disorder! They really help.

And to those who are skipping ahead a season - GIVE IT A REST! LOL, let's just live one lovely day at a time!

Our birch tree's seeds have attracted a flock of finches. They also love the coneflower and cosmos seeds.

Kathleen ~ it's really o.k. I grew up in MN and sense this in myself. I made my comments 'tongue in cheek' but can't imagine how I survived MN winters. If still there, I WOULD be depressed!

For me ir means getting ready to put plants in the greenhouse, taking cuttings, collecting seeds. It means lower electric bills till winter, and lower water bills. Last 2 months water was $200.

I do love the cooler weather, and the fall colors!

I voted other--to me it is the brisk mornings with the smell of woodsmoke and burning leaves. There is something poignant about it--getting the flowerbeds ready to rest and the plants into the Greenhouse for the winter, getting the firewood stacked and the woodstove ready. The longer evenings mean homemade soups and breads and putting the down comforter on the bed.

Although I am planting a plethora of spring blooming bulbous things, Autumn for me is tuber time the time when I dig up my dahlias and store them.

finally cool enough for me to really weed and trim - transplant, etc

SPRING!!!!!
here in Mozambique everything is fresh and green, bright and hot! i am looking forward at some very hot months with over 110 degrees on a lot of days. thats when the pool comes in handy!
i wish you all luck who have to endure snow, i would freeze to death.
Isaac

yes, it's time to bring in the dahlias, and cover up the tender roses, but I equate fall with setting in foot stores - I bake for Christmas, and love the warmth of the stove on....
Bread baking is one of my loves - even during the hot summer (that's when I put it on the deck table to rise.......it's lovely & quick)
So, I voted for stew/soup and baking lol

~Susan~

Autumn...is salvation.
The choice this year was heat stroke or malaria.

Autumn is the season of cool days -- and even cooler nights -- and lovely color -- the gold of aspens and chamisa in bloom and the purple of fields of wild asters. It is also the time to plant bulbs, including garlic, and the time for planting almost everything. It is also time for the Botanic Gardens plant sales where I acquire many unusual plants that will grow in our dry climate. Love fall, but well, not looking forward to frost and eventual freezing.

Although the brilliant colors of Autumn are a delight, it also brings sadness at the shortening of the days and the demise of our lovely flowers that have brought happiness all summer long.

Amen, DonM47.

autumn is finally getting a break from watering, cutting grass, pulling weeds, feeding and pruning. it's a time to put most of the garden to bed, plant a few tomatoes and lettuce seeds and think about a couple pots of winter annuals. it's a rest period-even for the deep south.

smell of earthy decaying leaves, crisp evenings, fall planting veggies and bulbs, pumpkins, cleanup, warm home cooked foods, snuggling with blankets on the couch, crocheting scarves and hats, fall color tours.

I envy those of you in the far South who can grow winter tomatoes and lettuce. That is something I miss here.

I chose other. Fall means shorter, cooler days and winter around the corner. It means I need to get my socks, shoes and slippers out. No more flip flops and sandals. Lower water, but higher electric bills. More aches and pains. I have fibromyalgia and arthritis. My body and my mood does better in the spring and summer.
I start looking forward to spring in the fall. Here in the PNW our fall weather is very similar to our winter weather. Usually cold and wet.Though winter sometimes brings frost or snow as well.
I'm not a fan of fall or winter. But without them, I wouldn't appreciate spring or summer as much.

I think I need to become a snow bird and go somewhere warmer this time of the year and stay until spring. :-)

Joy

This message was edited Sep 28, 2009 1:02 PM

Fall means cooler days and nights, beautiful colors, apple picking, planting, planting, planting....my favorite time of the year

I voted for the soup and stews! I don't do much outside after the cold winds start. Here the leaves usually change from green to brown in just a few days, so that doesn't give you a warm feeling. LOL!

Excitement at putting in my first bulb bed, thanks much to kind traders!

Susan

Autumn is wearing pretty scarves again!

And going outside without choking from the humidity.
And seeing the brilliant reds and oranges of the sugar maples and staghorn sumac.

Wish I could identify with the no-bugs comments ... we still have hordes of mosquitoes and blackflies. The first frost can't come soon enough!

I love wearing pretty scarves too. That and hoodie sweatshirts!

Autumn always takes me back to childhood anticipating my birthday in October, then Halloween, Thanksgiving. Fresh and frosty mornings seeing my breath in the air. Running all the way home from school, changing out of my school uniform, saddle shoes, and knee socks and into courdoroys to get some play time outside before darkness fell, and my mom's bear meat stew (really it was hamburger and brown gravy) steaming on the stove.

seeing the postings regarding scarves leads me to add my own favorite winter garb, jeans tucked into tall boots and yes, a long scarf wrapped around my neck.

pamgarden, you paint a heartfelt memory that i can relate with, except instead of bear stew, ours was quail, rabbit, squirrel or dove (all real)....and bubbles and squeak for leftovers.

I voted other, because for me it is when the leaves change color and everything turns gold. Shadows get longer and deeper. It is a beautiful time of year but kind of melancholy.

Autumn is my FAVORITE season. It is a culmination of all things "earth" and brings memories of home. I love this time of year.

I chose other because Autumn is many things. With the days getting shorter and nights cooler, our family enjoys stargazing at clear evening skies. We also enjoy toasting marshallows for smores & roasting hot dogs. On rainy evenings, I'm cooking the gumbo stew, soups, and cornbread. Weekends are spent gathering leaves for mulching beds, and cycling through the woods along the lake. I'm looking forward to seeing my witch hazel bloom. I'm also expecting to harvest at least eight large trombone squash to cook, mash, & freeze for the cold winter days ahead. Yes, autumn is also spent preparing for winter.

Autumn is usually our most beautiful time of the year. Mid 80s and time to sit out side and enjoy the cool air. Not this year. We are still 101 degrees, tomorrow 95 degrees and then finally Wednesday we will be in the high 70s. Ready for a break from the heat. Coleus still in great form.

Forgot our power bill. High $400 in July and August. I am sure it will be the same for September. But now in October and November we will need neither heat or air conditioning. Then the bill will by in the low $200. Reason being KOI pond runs 24/7 and pool pump runs 8 hours a day. Photo of KOI pond.