Feeling of Fall

The date on the calendar is not always what indicates the arrival of fall. The summer held on this year producing rose blooms, red tomatoes, and morning glory blossoms last week. Another sure sign of fall is the first time I smell leaves burning. When I left school the other day the pungent smell took me back to 516 W. Cameron in Kellogg when dad would rake the yellow and brown leaves into the street by the sidewalk and burn the pile in the darkened twilight.

 It feels more like the fall when the temperature drops. When you have to warm up the car and pull out a heavier coat it signals real fall. When middle school boys don't want to play basketball in their shorts and sweatshirts before school, but would rather stay inside, it has to be fall.

Today JEJ prepared all the grapes into juice for jam making. That smell along with the aroma of the apples simmering for applesauce, the pears awaiting canning, and squash and pumpkin cooking in the oven all signal fall. Growing up I have such a vivid memory of baked apples cooking in the oven. When they came out we sprinkled them with brown sugar and waited eagerly for them to cool enough to sample. Now we might splurge and add a bit of cream or ice cream in the middle of the apple.

I look forward to preparing jam, making applesauce, raking leaves, building a fire, putting on a fleece vest, and basking in the October sun. That is what fall is all about.