You may have guessed from the title; I LOVE the fall! Here, in Ontario, Canada the ‘turning of the leaves’ is an event. The news has started its “Colour Watch” to show where the peak colours are happening.
It’s just started here; the Sumacs are turning bright red beside the golden orange of the Kentucky Coffee tree. The Copper beach is starting to live up to its name. In a week or two the morning sun will light it up as if the leaves were made from fine sheets of copper, dazzling!
I’ve seen a few maples turning on my drive to work. The woods behind my house is still mostly green but climbing up one tree is a beautiful display of rusty-brown Bittersweet vine with bright orange berries. In the forefront is the purple hue of wild grapes, although I’ve already picked the best ones for Wild Grape and Apple Jelly. They are in my freezer in a clear plastic container so I can admire them; frozen purple pearls. I’ll make the jelly later on in the fall to give as Christmas presents.
The only coloured maples will be the fake ones I’m putting out today. A bouquet of red maples leaves and ornamental grasses goes in front of my houseplants to brighten up the green. The antique cups and saucers above my cupboards get pushed back and covered with coloured boughs of leaves and little pumpkin lights. At night the colour is warm and inviting. Night is coming earlier now….. by the end of November we will need to light up the gloom. For now the beautiful sunsets are coming at a reasonable time to end the day.
I washed my windows last week to make sure the colours are not obscured by dust and insect poo. This time of year I can just stand at the windows and enjoy.
I like it when it’s cool enough to use my wood stove. I keep a pot of water on top adding Lavender flowers collected a month ago. Soon, when the frost starts, I’ll use cinnamon sticks and cloves; sometimes some orange peels if I’m eating one.
Then there is great fall food; squash with maple syrup, crisp apples and apple crisp. And pumpkins; I love pumpkins! I love to run my hands on their smooth skins. I love to see them lined up at the fruit stand.
Yes, fall is the best season! Spring is pretty but muddy. Summer is too hot and I have to work a lot catering to people on vacation. It’s a bummer.
Winter can be OK if you don’t have to drive to work and have lots of firewood to keep you toasty. But having to wake up early, in the dark and freezing cold, to make sure your driveway is cleared so you can risk your life driving to work and come home to a cold house is downright hardship! I am not looking forward to that in the least!
But then there’s Christmas decorating…….
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