falling for fall

It's official.


Let the record show that I am hereby a Fall Girl.

I've spent my entire life boldly proclaiming my love of Summer.
I have lived for Summer.
Longed for Summer.
Had God given me a daughter, I would have named her Summer.


But.

Yesterday, as I hurriedly harvested the pumpkins and gourds that survived on Pumpkin Island, and even more hurriedly arranged them in a wagon, and then hurriedly took some pictures, before I hurried off to a birthday lunch, I fell in love with Fall.

I fell in love with the crisp bite in the air.

And the leaves on the ground.

I fell in love with perfect little curlicues.


And the cute little in-betweens that are no longer blossoms but not yet gourds.


I fell in love with green and orange and yellow.


I fell in love, once again, with the wagon that hauled my boys around when they were little.


And most of all, for some odd reason, especially odd since I almost never opt for white when there is color to be had, I fell in love with this little guy.


I didn't want to leave my little wagon of all things Autumn. I wanted to spend some time, time that I didn't have, just enjoying the beauty and the color and the vines and the tendrils.

But, I had places to go and people to see.

I think my issue with Fall, the reason I can't let myself just relax and enjoy it, is the ever looming feeling that the axe could fall at any moment. There's that chance that we may not get another glorious, golden lighted, blue skied, brisk and beautiful day. This year has brought the best Fall I can ever remember. Snappy mornings and warm afternoons all glowing in the slanted rays of a sun that's headed south for the Winter, a Winter that can come quickly here. Once it comes, it's usually here to stay.

But this year, I'm letting my guard down and for now anyway, my heart belongs to October and spiced apple cake and mums.

I so wish I could leave you here, ready to rake some leaves and bake a pumpkin pie. However, circumstances demand that we go all double subject today, because an update is in order and it just can't wait.

I told you about the visitor/visitors we had on the farm last week, right? Well, Sunday morning, my husband got the call that there were three young bears in our next door neighbor's tree.

After all three of the men that happened to be present (one of which promised to love, honor and sacrifice himself to save me, till death do us part) promised to run interference for me if mama showed up, I grabbed a couple shots of the apple stealers.


Way up high, away from me, I have to admit he's kind of cute.

(It goes without saying that I used my longest lens and cropped big time for these shots.)

I liked this. I liked seeing them on my terms. I liked having them way up in a tree. I liked having three cars right next to me should I need to make a quick exit.

However, should we unexpectedly meet face to face, I will die on the spot.


Never to be heard from again.

Until then, I'll just be pondering my future career as a National Geographic photographer.

From the safety of my comfy chair, inside my cozy house.