Fall is really one of my favorite seasons. Depending on the year it can be a toss up between fall and spring for me. I find the season change mentally refreshing (physically, ugh, my body hates season change, but mentally I need them). I can’t imagine living somewhere without seasons. The cold snow of winter, the humidity of summer, the growth of spring, the leaves of fall.
Seasons remind me that everything is cyclical and everything is finite. Wait long enough and things will change. Be aware of patterns. Be prepared for things to change and for them to come around again. Value what is here today. Tomorrow will be different. I find seasons comforting, and reminders to be mindful of now.
Experiencing the seasons at ground level is one of the many reasons I love our woods walks. Feeling the temperatures change. The smell of fall rolling in. Hearing the species of birds shift. The leaves falling to the ground. The crunch of acorns under my boots. Being outside in the elements, feeling it all as it occurs.
The cooling temperatures, the falling leaves, the shifts in daylight also signal it’s time to grab the orange vests off their hooks when we walk. Safety first. It’s hunting season. Zora with her little bunny rabbit hop and white tip of the tail. Tom large and black. We all gear up before our walks. Vests for the dogs. Hat and vest for me. The hunter orange signaling we aren’t prey!
The dogs associate their visibility vests with walks in the woods. They eagerly shove their heads into them when I hold the vest up. They stand patiently waiting as I clip the buckles under their legs and belly, ensuring the vests stay on. Bug spray is then applied, and we’re off.
As we walked today, things still damp after the rain we’ve had this week, the sun hidden behind the clouds, the temperature just low enough one wants a light jacket, my friend mentioned it is supposed to be 80 on Sunday. I groaned. They said they were groaning about today, it is so dreary.
I laughed, but today is such a lovely day! It’s a comfortable day. Today is cool enough to wear nice comfy layers, a soft sweat shirt, a well worn pair of jeans, to take a walk where you don’t get too hot or too cold. Where the dogs are gleeful and happy. Where once you get home you can wrap up in a blanket, pour a nice hot cup of tea, grab a cookie and curl up with a good book or a TV program or the laptop. Not warm enough for air conditioning, not cold enough for heat, just right for a blanket. Where it’s not too grey out, nor is it bright and glarey. Where the humidity is low, where you end a walk with dry boots. It’s the perfect type of day.
Soon they were laughing too and agreed curled up on the couch with warm cup of coffee, a cookie and a tired dog sounded delightful.
A perfect kind of day.
