Falling Summer

I'm going back to my signature color, in case S. is inspired to write something over here, too. On the home front, we are trying to get our guest room put together for some guests (our first!) this weekend. Very exciting. I'm noticing, as I drive around (and around and around and around) that trees are beginning to show signs of fall--little peeps of yellow, red, and orange are starting to show through the otherwise big bush of green. This simultaneously depresses and excites me. Depressing because it means summer is over and I have to go back to work. Exciting because I get to go back to work (at my new school) and fall is my absolute favorite season.

I've enjoyed the past 5 falls in NYC, and they are fabulous--mild weather, romantic(ish) walks in Central Park crunching through the leaves-it's awesome. But here in New England, it's really more of a spiritual experience. The leaves perform for us--spectacular bursts of color everywhere--and when they fall and start to slowly decompose, they make the best earthy smell. People start to light their wood stoves, and the neighborhood starts to smell deep, smoky, and rich--and cozy.

Of course, in about 2 months, you will no doubt hear me bitching about having to rake and then dispose of all those beautiful leaves. But in the meantime, I'm feeling nostalgic for the falls of my childhood when I could jump in a pile of leaves and roll around in their damp, musty goodness.