The Magic and Beauty of Fall

DUKES FANS: The Continual Beauty of the Fall Autumn 2024 came into the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday, September 22 at 8:44 AM Eastern Standard Time. That is when summer officially ended and our Hemisphere began gradually moving into that time of shorter daylight, cooler weather, the movement of butterflies, birds and other wildlife species across state lines, and the slow, steady emergence of remarkable shades of color on thousands of trees, flowers, and shrubs. It is a magical time. This region has approximately equal amounts of time in each of the four seasons, and I love each of them. But spring and fall are my favorites. They both make me super aware of and grateful for the way the natural world around us can announce itself. Spring, like fall, is about big color changes in our surroundings, the movement of animals, and changes in their color. The difference, though, is that spring is bright; it seems somewhat flashier, quicker, and louder. The changes seem to happen more rapidly and more intensely. Fall, on the other hand, is more subdued; it is slower, quieter. I love them both, but this is the time that I resonate with that slower and quieter feel of autumn. Over the next month or so I will have the time to fully take in and experience the changes just as they happen. I can delight in how a given street, or yard, or tree or a particular garden gradually makes its way quietly through these changes. And then, suddenly, there is a whole new landscape in front of me-differently colored trees and bushes, longer hours of darkness, and the arrival of more differently colored birds. It is a subtler process than spring, but both of them present me with changed worlds. Fall is always magical to me; it never fails to re-awaken my joy and wonder in my surroundings. It was not always like this for me; when I was younger, fall had not really been a “special” time to me. It was nice, but it was not “special.” That all changed one October when I was 20 and taking a trip to visit friends in Rhode Island. I was riding the old Penn Central rail line from Philly to Providence, RI., and a few seats in front of me was a couple that was apparently super-excited about the trip. They kept getting out of their seats, walking to one side of the train and then the other, looking out the windows, and “oohing” and “ahhiing.” I watched this for a bit and was mystified. It was just a train trip, after all; what was the big deal? So I went up to them and asked what was going on; why were they going through all of this running around and looking out the windows? The man looked at me and said, “We’re from Los Angeles. This is our first time East-we have never seen fall before! We read about it and saw some photos, but this is our first time actually seeing it! It is incredible!” Just then the train was crossing the Connecticut River. Looking down, the view that hit our eyes was an unbelievable riot of all different shades of oranges, reds, greens, and yellow. And through their eyes I suddenly awoke to a new appreciation of the season. That trip started my revised relationship with autumn. I spent the rest of the train ride marveling at the beauty outside the train window, and by the time I reached Providence I was hooked on fall. I still revel in the fall. I still feel all the beauty and can express gratitude and amazement as I once again realize what this world presents me with the gifts that are there just waiting for me when I take the time to notice and appreciate them. Happy Autumn, everyone. Enjoy and experience the beauty and wonder of the mid-Atlantic fall.