Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors of the leaves; the yellows and reds and especially the vibrant waxy orange leaves that seem to project their own source of light. I love the smell of the leaves, that dry musty smell that takes me back to my childhood like a time machine. And, I love the sound the dried leaves make when I kick them or crush them under my feet. I’ve looked down at my feet from the beginning of my memory, in velveteen oxfords, matte black rubbers, platformed shoes, heels and most recently, cross-trainers as they scatter leaves with every step. Although the footwear has changed, that delightful sound of crispy leaves crunching under my feet remains a constant.
Last weekend Dave and I spent the weekend up in the mountains with our friends Mark and AJ. I took my very first chair lift ride. We glided over the autumn colored treetops with the hawks, the sun warming our faces in the nippy morning air. It was glorious! After taking two lifts up to the tops of the sky slopes, we hiked to the summit where we were rewarded by far reaching views of the Shenandoah Valley. John Denver was right- it is almost heaven!
Yesterday, we took a trip up to the Skyline Drive with Dave and Vanya who’d come up for the weekend. The leaves were a little past peak and the sun not as cooperative, but the vistas and views were still beautiful. It was Vanya’s first visit to the Blue Ridge and she said it reminded her of her home in Tasmania. Funny how I never thought of fall being anything but a northern hemisphere sort of thing. Vanya said they have the same change of leaves and fall, obviously, as we’re enjoying our springtime here. It might be fun to visit downunder sometime and experience fall twice in one year, but then I would miss some of the spring here. Hmmm.
Spring is also my favorite season……..