[2022-09-22] Hello Fall

Early this morning, when I had the benefit of a few more minutes to snuggle under the covers, I read my daily email from The Old Farmer's Almanac. Autumnal Equinox 2022: The First Day of Fall caught my eye, so I clicked through to the full article. It begins: "The autumnal equinox—also called the September equinox or fall equinox—arrives on Thursday, September 22." The article explains that the equinox is marked at the moment the Sun crosses the "celestial equator" (an imaginary extension of Earth's equator into space), which was to occur at 9:04 PM EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. "The word 'equinox' comes from Latin aequus, meaning 'equal,' and nox, 'night.' On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length." I learned something new.

The Old Farmer's Almanac article includes additional facts and folklore related to the autumnal equinox, such as information on the harvest moon and the hunter's moon, fall foliage, signs of fall, and ancient autumn traditions.

Autumn Gratitude

My early-morning reading got me thinking about all the things I love about fall.
  • Fall food: roasted vegetables, sweet squash, fragrant pumpkin, juicy cranberries, new potatoes, hearty soups. I love all the succulent vegetables available at this time of year as well as comfort foods and anything that warms me from the inside out.
  • Fall fashion: warm boots, puffy coats, wool hats, sleek gloves, colourful scarves, fuzzy socks. I used to love Sears' fall catalogue, envying the women who wore long plaid skirts and tall leather boots.
  • Fall weather: warm days (sometimes) and cool nights. I love the feeling of a cool breeze on my face and my warm body curled up under a fluffy duvet.
  • Fall tempo: bundling up inside with a good book or an indoor project, with no pressure to be out enjoying the day. I like the built-in excuse to nestle indoors because the weather has turned blustery.
  • Fall decorations: brilliant mums, pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, bales of hay, stalks of dried corn, fragrant candles. I wouldn't choose orange as a decorating colour at any other time of the year, but in the fall, everything orange feels right.
  • Fall nature: brightly coloured leaves in multiple shades of red, orange and yellow. Fall foliage is beautiful to look at and fallen leaves are so satisfying to crunch through.
  • Fall holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving. Autumn is a time for being generous and being grateful.
  • Fall activities: fall fairs, apple picking, art tours, holiday markets, walks in the woods. As much as I like to hole up inside as the weather turns cold, I love to take advantage of beautiful fall days to breathe in the crisp air and to see something that fills me with wonder.
Today, I made granola, which filled my house with the pleasant scent of cinnamon. I bought and arranged food storage containers, in anticipation of filling our freezer with meals and prepared ingredients for easy-to-make dishes. I went for a walk with my daughter, bundled up against the gusty winds. And I picked huckleberries from a plant in my garden gifted to me by my sister, turning the fruit into a sweet and tangy jam.

Hello Fall!