As is often the case when October rolls around, I’ve recently heard several people express how fall is their favorite time of year.
I totally understand, especially here in the Ozarks, because the midday temperatures are nearly perfect and the air quality is fantastic – with little to no humidity or airborne dust, or other excess material.
Sure, the leaves are coming down, and keeping up with that isn’t exactly easy when you live in a forested area. But that’s just a trade-off that goes with the arrangement, and most people who appreciate this time of year understand that.
The good news is, there are many days when you don’t need to turn on the air conditioner or furnace in the house, and when if you set foot outdoors, you can’t help but feel senses of peace, comfort and relaxation.
I think it’s safe to say that fall has so many of its own characteristics.
There’s as unique smell to it. Like a musty, earthy combination of wood, decaying leaves and, well, nature in general. And when the aroma of smoke from a fireplace or firepit is mixed in, that just ties it all together in a way that only happens in the fall.
There’s unique feel to it. It’s not exactly cold yet, but you can easily detect a crisper edge in the air, and breezes have a noticeable coolness to them. And actually, many mornings could certainly be called cold; but then the temperature rises 30 to 40 degrees by afternoon and you end up shedding a layer of clothing.
Honestly, it’s sometimes a bit difficult to know how to dress this time of year, but I always like that process of beginning the day in a jacket and ending it in a T-shirt.
And fall brings its own unique sounds, too, like the wind in the trees that have only about half of their leaves left. It’s definitely a different tone than when all the leaves are up or all the leaves are down. It’s like a soft, but defined, whooshing with a slight hint of whistling.
Add the chatter of birds, squirrels and other vocally-active critters, and the resulting harmony is a thing of beauty.
And how about those off-and-on stronger gusts that make a ton of leaves shower down all at once? That’s always pretty cool to witness.
Anyway, I saw some thick frost on the ground on Tuesday morning this week, and it of course won’t be long before Ozarks weather forecasts include phrases like “wind chill factor” and “Arctic blast,” and words like “accumulation” and “glazing” begin to pop up as they do on an annual basis. Yep, you can’t stop winter’s advance, and here in flyover country there’s no denying that we actually experience four distinct seasons – including one when things can get downright frigid.
But right now, it’s time to enjoy those fall conditions and maybe do a few things outdoors. Yeah, the frozen junk can wait; we’re enjoying the good stuff right now, and it doesn’t get much better than this.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
