Fall Is In The Air

Fall is in the air, in more ways than one. I'm starting to see a few leaves turn color. We don't get great foliage colors where I am, but I will see the occasional pop of Fall color in my travels sometimes. The temperatures are starting to cool off in the evenings, and even during the days, the heat isn't as oppressive. When it's 100 or thereabouts, the A/C in my car barely makes a dent in the heat, but it was 80 the other day, and I actually had to turn down the A/C when i was driving to the store, which was surprising and refreshing.

There was a lot of chatter in the neighborhood Facebook group this morning, many thought someone's house was on fire, due to haze and the smell of smoke. Our city, as usual, left us in the dark, but eventually, I caught a post from the next city over, about controlled burns in the local marshes. Apparently it's something that is done every Fall. I wasn't in the Facebook group last Fall, so if I smelled the smoke, I also probably thought someone's house was on fire.

Are you seeing signs of Fall/Autumn where you live?

 

We had 90 degree days last week and woke up to 60 degrees this morning. What a difference. The trees have started to drop a few leaves but the colors have not set in yet. We have not in the past had the colors change until the middle of October. This was a quick summer season.

 

We're in hurricane watch mode here in Hawaii. The storms so far are bypassing us, but when it's near us in the Pacific it gives us temperatures in the 90's and the same kind of heat at night. It was no relief in sight until today. Today's news weather forecast is a lot milder with temperatures in the 80's again and a cool Tradewinds which is coming from the NE. At long last we get a break from the hot & humid weather that storms to hurricanes that is passing us brings. For the past couple of nights where we live nights got cooler from 90 dropping down to 80 degrees. It's has been rainy so we gotten flood warnings a lot. Hopefully we get milder and cooler weather. The schools have gotten so upset with the heat that a fan & air conditioner drive got started! Hope autumn will bring mild and cooler weather!

 

It's disappointing when the colors aren't what you're used to. So far, the leaves aren't falling, but I know it's coming. I bag 10+ huge leaf bags of leaves off my balcony every year, it's a pain. I leave them lying on the yard usually, to kill the weeds. If I'm feeling o.k., I'll rake some of them, but it's a major chore, especially considering they're not my trees. I'm always happy when the cooler weather arrives, and I can't wait until I can be more active outside, and actually open the windows for more than a few minutes. For now, I'll enjoy what's left of the Summer, especially since it's more bearable than it has been.

 

I would love to have autumn here but we only have 2 seasons - the wet and dry. July was the official start of the rainy season that should last until September or October at the latest. But in the last decade it seemed that the season had drastically changed. Where before rain was a rarity in December, we are now having rains until January, huh. It's a phenomenon of sorts. And typhoons which arrive in September are now coming in by November. We also have typhoons in December last year.

There is a fire tree in front of my sister's house. They call it Caballero, the Spanish name for the fire tree. During autumn (in America) that Caballero tree bears fire-colored flowers that are bigger than my hands. It's a wonderful sight when it is in bloom. So I would know when it is fall because of those blooms.

 

I've never heard of a fire tree, I hope you post pictures. Caballero in Spanish means gentleman, it's interesting that the tree has that name. I looked around to see if I could find the origin. I haven't yet, but this is an interesting article, it states that the tree's leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots have medicinal value. http://archive.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/opinion/2014/07/17/pena-fire-trees-354447

Here's an excerpt discussing the color of the blossoms: "In the Indian state of Kerala, Royal Poinciana is called Kaalvarippoo, which means the flower of Calvary. There is a popular belief among Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala that when Jesus was crucified, there was a small Royal Poinciana tree nearby his Cross. It is believed that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed over the flowers of the tree and this is how the flowers of Royal Poinciana got a sharp red color." (Wikipedia)

 

Yep, fall is almost here. I've got to get the cyclone rake out today to suck up some leaves.

 

I used to live for the fall and winter months. Sept. 15 or the Saturday nearest used to be the start of hunting season here. When I was 11 I got my first real gun. A Remington 20ga. auto. One of my grandsons has it now, still in working order despite all the hard use I put it through.
At first I had to rely on my dad to take me to hunting spots. We had a family friend who owned a farm with lots of hills and timber, beside a river. Dad would drive me out there, then sit with the owner, talking and sipping coffee while I hunted squirrels or "limbrats" as we call 'em. Once, I got a fox.
As I aged I just loved being in the woods and hills in the fall, enjoying the fall colors and the bite in the air. Often I would nestle down against a tree on a hilltop in the sun, and fall asleep.
In the winter months there was no sleeping, just a lot of walking through briars and brush, rooting out bunnies, quail or pheasants. God, I miss those days.

 

I can feel the crispness in the air, and I tend to have more energy in the Fall. I'm looking forward to that kicking in, so I can start accomplishing more. I have to get over this hurdle of the allergies first, though. The leaves haven't fallen en masse yet, but I have been cleaning small patches of them off the balcony. I saw pumpkins for sale at Walmart the other day, and I'm getting a craving to make applesauce.

 

Yes, fall in on the horizon finally. It can't come soon enough for me this year. The summer was brutal here in Arizona, with the high temperatures and high humidity factor. There were times when it wasn't fit to be outside and yet I had to be at times. So, I am so looking forward to having the fall come in.

 

I thought Arizona had dry heat? I've always heard it explained that way, that the heat isn't as bad because it's a dry heat. It's certainly humid here on the Gulf Coast, and I won't be sorry to see Summer go, although it will still be hot here for months. This is the time I come back to life, and can actually get out of the house and do things like a little yard work (my chronic pain still limits that, but I try to do some), nature walks, etc. Even just sitting outside in the cool air is a treat.

 

We are moving from summer into autumn in Scotland. Gone are those midsummer days of 18 hour daylight - we are down to around 12 hours now. Mornings and evenings are quite chilly, although the days are still relatively warm (16 to 18 Celsius is mild here!). The leaves are not yet turning colour, so it still feels like late summer.

Blackberries are starting to proliferate now. They grow anywhere and everywhere and it's always nice to pick off a few big, juicy, ripe berries when out for a walk.

 

Fall is undoubtedly my favorite station of the year for many reasons, including it's the time when Halloween comes in, one of the few holidays I still enjoy probably due to its magickal connotation.

However I have been so busy lately that I didn't realize about any sign or else (including this thread) until something "strange" happened to me yesterday...

I was feeling overwhelmed for a series of issues that I was not expecting to hear from but until next week, the fact is that whenever I feel stressed, overwhelmed or simply needing some inspiration, here you get going to walk out there.

I did it yesterday and this time "something" was floating in the air; I began to feel much in the way I used to feel when I was 17-18 years old, and everything around me had a special vibration that exalted colors and forms in the nature. I perceived some signs of fall coming our way but... I didn't realize fall is just a few hours from starting!

This is why yesterday's walk was so special to me, kinda autumn natural cycle that revives inside of me year after year.