It's autumn. So maybe it's not officially autumn. Or is it? I haven't checked. But it feels like it. Autumn is my favorite season. It's when there's that chill in the air that makes you pull your jacket closer around you. The bright wind picks up and makes your cheeks cold. The sky is hard, deep blue, a colder shade than summer. Outside, it smells like ripe leaves all the time as they blow in spirals on sidewalks like dancing. You can do your homework with a blanket wrapped around yourself. You can wear cute scarves and look normal. You can legitimately have hot apple cider again without feeling lame. I know they say the east coast has the best autumn, but I think the Midwest puts up a pretty good show too (by Midwest, I mean Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, maybe Ohio, and part of Missouri; Wisconsin and Michigan do not count, and anything from Kentucky down is the South--my definition, not the US Census Bureau's definition). You can't have autumn without cornfields. Corn is a way of life in Illinois. Fun factoid: my university has the oldest experimental cornfield in the western hemisphere. It's in the middle of campus, and it's the reason we have an underground undergrad library (so shade won't fall on the corn). If you trespass, you get expelled.
I don't know about you, but autumn makes me want to write. There are so many pretty things outside to take inspiration from. And it's not to cold to go outside yet. This means I still have a couple of trips to the CPL yet, before the snow deters me for four months. Also, admit it: autumn brings out the best coffee drinks. Pumpkin spice? Maple white mocha? Toffee? Pretty things + cool weather + good coffee = yay writing. It's a very simple equation.
What is autumn like where you live? What's your favorite season?
Ooh, I second your autumn = writing, assessment. I was just thinking about making a baked apple and doing some revising!
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, Ohio is totally midwest and we put on a killer fall show.
My favorite season is summer. Autumn is actually my least favorite season. *ducks* Not that it isn't beautiful and inspiring, but it also brings closer the impending doom that is winter.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a Canadian thing, but I'm not such a fan of winter.
LiLa, I haven't been to Ohio in several years so I don't remember what it's like there anymore. :-/
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm sure Canadian winters are much worse than American ones, so I consider your dislike of autumn legit, Sarah.
My favorite season is summer. I hate being hot, but I love love love cold drinks and icy desserts. Also, swimming is about the only kind of exercise I can commit to because I don't feel gross and overheated doing it. But I guess my perspective on other seasons is skewed since I live in Southern California. This does mean I am weak sauce when it comes to cold. 64 degrees F is pretty near freezing for me; it's winter weather. Autumn is a nice season, but it sort of blends into the tail-end of summer and goes right into winter out here.
ReplyDeleteI spent my college years in NorCal though, which had more change from season to season. Loved wearing scarves, but not so much the wind & rain in winter. Either by itself I can deal with, but trying to climb hills to class while trying to stay dry as the rain comes at me sideways and horizontally and my umbrella threatens to flip inside-out is more effort than I like to expend.
Speaking of college, that corn field sounds amazing. I'm so curious as to what it looks like now (ok and I would be tempted to go running through it). My campus has a circle that's designated as international territory. It doesn't look exciting, but I've heard strange stories about how people tried to take advantage of that, uh, legal immunity I guess. Haha. Happy Autumn!
Autumn here in England is cold. It can often be when we get the most sun! Naturally there is the rain....but there's a particular scent in the air. I know winter is coming. I like watching the birds fly off in flocks for migration. My cat goes out less and less.
ReplyDeleteAutumn means an end to going out in the afternoons - it get darks pretty quickly.It means more opportunities for gaming, watching fun dvds and drinking more hot chocolate than I usually do - just because it is the winter drink!
Autumn is my favorite time of year, period. You've expressed it so well here with your words! I just went out yesterday to take pictures of the turning leaves. You can see some of them here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this!
Okay, where does Michigan go then? Canada? I'm cold enough, don't push me out of the country! :)
ReplyDeleteI love autumn too, and cinnamon vanilla coffee is my fave flavor!