I’ve talked with people who don’t like Fall.
Nature dies off, they reason. And Fall portends the coming of winter and cold weather.
True. The leaves of our cherry tree are starting to turn:
Cherry tree, early Fall
And so are the Dogwood’s:
Dogwood, early Fall
And the brown-eyed Susan, so glorious just a few weeks ago, is looking more like she’s going to a wake than a prom:
Brown-eyed Susan
Here in Central Illinois, we had a lot of rain early on, but now we’re approaching drought conditions. The weather folks tease us with the possibility of precipitation, but all we get is a sprinkle or two. Not enough to get the job done. Not near enough to erase the cracks from the ground. Or to stop premature dropping of leaves from trees:
Dropped leaves, early Fall
Still, the soybeans are thriving:
Soybean field, early Fall
And the Chrysanthemums are beginning to bud:
Budding yellow mum
And the heat is moderating; storms are blowing through less often; kids are back in school, and dealers are showing new car models.
Corduroy, flannel and boots are appearing in department stores. Holiday decorations are beginning to come out of hibernation.
Apples are once again available, as is pumpkin pie mix.
And just look at the two beauties that followed me home Sunday:
Two new mums
Do you love Fall, too? If not, why?
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Yes, Debbie…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fall! I know that everything seems to die off and looks barren, but I like that look. For me there is something beautiful about barren trees.
“Dropped leaves, early Fall”
Oh, how I adore that. I love walking over dropped leaves in the parks and hearing them CRUNCH under my feet. I also love the smell of burning fireplaces while I’m walk through all side streets. I love the crisp air and wearing jackets. I love pumpkin pie, soups, stews, warm bread, and drinking red wine in the Fall.
Yup…I love Fall.
Beautiful photos! The color of those mums are stunning!
X
Thanks, Ron. I hope we get enough brilliant Fall color here to post some more photos, but I’m skeptical. We got early rain and not much through the summer, leaving our trees a decidedly brown color and the leaves curled. I fear they’ll just wither and drop before putting on their autumn dresses!
Yum — pumpkin pie, soups, stews, warm bread, jackets — I love that about Fall, too!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!
Great fall pictures. Fall is my favorite time of my year. Love the colors, smell and especially taking walks around the block in my hoodie in the dimming light and brisk air.
I love hoodies, too! And taking long walks with Dallas on a crisp Fall day is practically heavenly. Thanks for dropping in!
I’m a great fan of fall – although it’s a little hard to find around here. I always travel north to visit my aunt in Kansas City in the fall, just for the pleasure of finding those pumpkin patches and colored leaves and cool weather. I have to time things just right, though. I never linger beyond the last week in October. Oklahoma can be tricky – last year they had their first icy roads just a week after I got home.
I especially like being able to open windows, and many of the traditional fall dishes. Pies, cobblers, pot roast, chili. It can’t come soon enough for me!
Me, too, Linda. Yes, I agree that Oklahoma can be tricky. I used to live in North Texas, and we did get ice once in a while (though I can’t remember getting any as early as October!).
My Sheltie really enjoys the cooler weather — I don’t feel as if I’m dragging him when we go on our walks. And you’re right about those open windows! Sleeping with a cool breeze blowing through (and no air conditioning) makes for a really refreshing night!
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I love fall, too! In the desert it is different than in places with real seasons. It means relief from the relentless 90-100+ degree heat that has overstayed its welcome. This will be my first season in twenty five years, so I’m so excited to experience it. I’ve already been on hikes taking ‘changing’ photos and will be out every week so I can catch the brilliant yellows, oranges and reds.
I like the mums…I’m glad they followed you home 🙂
Janna, I’m looking forward to seeing the desert in Fall — that will be a first for me, too! We’re still hovering around 80, but with the shortening of the daylight hours, I don’t expect that to hang around long. Yes, especially that purple mum. We don’t see near enough purple this time of year!
Aw Debbie, your beautiful photos make me homesick for Illinois.
Sounds like you need a trip back home, Pat. Would love to see you — Illinois is playing today, and it’s a perfect fall day for football!
I was contemplating the way we tend to view fall this morning as I was out walking with Lucy. I LOVE fall, with all it’s pretty colors and smells. I love how everything begins to feel cozy. But as much as I love fall, I tend to think of it as the death of summer and all of the beautiful flowers and leaves. And then this morning, I realized that nothing is really dying, it’s just going to sleep. Somehow that makes me feel better about loving fall so much! 🙂
What a nice way to look at it, Terri — not as the death of summer but as a needed hibernation! I agree, we do tend to “cozy up” when the cooler months arrive. The thing I have to remember is to sit in a sunny window as often as I can so the gloominess of grey days doesn’t overwhelm.
I love fall, and all that it represents–autumn leaves, football season, pumpkins. The town I grew up in had the best cider with its very own cider mill. So good, the New York Times reviewed it an d rated it number 2 in the entire New York metropolitan area! Here in San Diego, pumpkin mixes are back, apples are available all year round, and Starbucks is offering it’s pumpkin spice lattes again. It’s hot, in the 80s, but still I love the fall.
Having four distinct seasons is what I missed most about living in Texas, Monica. I just love fall. I’m not terribly big on Halloween, but I do love back-to-school and Thanksgiving. The cooler temps and the lessening of threats from tornadoes make the season so enjoyable. The only thing I miss is having more daylight to enjoy it all in!
Fall is my favorite season. I love the eeriness of it. The sound in the air. The crisp look in the sky…the blue sky and big white puffy clouds. The leaves changing colors…wearing different color clothes and I could go on and on. Always love your pictures Deb.
P.S. When my 6 kids were school age…the start of school!
Do you know I still love back-to-school, Tanya? Silly, huh? But I use that time to replenish my office supplies at less expensive prices. Something about the scent of fresh crayons and Elmer’s glue that takes me back to when I was a kid! And there’s something so cozy about fall, isn’t there? Thanks for dropping by!
“scent of fresh crayons and Elmer’s glue “…..LOL!!!