This morning, standing in front of the open kitchen window, a zephyr breeze brought the scent of earth. "Hmm," I thought. "It's almost like fall." But I didn't say anything, because Don is the official "Calling fall" guy. He just has a good gut instinct for when summer is over.
Mid-morning, I was out picking blueberries. Don was up a ladder, painting a portion of the house siding. He was wearing his radio earphones and wasn't paying much attention to anything else. But something, too, caught his attention. He removed his earphones, sniffed the air, listened to the sound, and called fall.
He came out to where I was picking blueberries and told me. "I called fall at 10:05 this morning."
"Funny you should say that!" I exclaimed, and told him about that little zephyr breeze I felt earlier.
He leaned in and kissed me. "First kiss of fall," he said.
What determines his decision to call fall? The grasses whisper. The sound is sharper. Noises carry farther. Breezes rattle the leaves. The landscape looks tired.
And the birds are quieter. The day when birdsong is less common is one of the triggering events. The birds know.
Our work schedule will gradually shift over the next few weeks to begin battening down for winter. Putting up firewood. Harvesting the garden. Such are the seasons on a homestead.
So yeah ... fall is here.
Glad to hear it! A welcome respite from heat indices of 110! Looking forward to Fall y'all!
ReplyDelete-Don- Hate to break it to you, but temperature isn't really important in my fall callin' system. We've had plenty of hot days even in October. But at least the trend is your friend. With fits and starts, the temperature will begin to drop. Happy fall.
DeleteRobins — constant, daily companions in our OKC backyard since late winter/early spring — disappeared late last week, in spite of our record heat wave. Here one day, gone the next, with their kids and belongings, if they have any. No notice, just gone. Rude, I know, but I miss 'em.
ReplyDeleteJust like I mentioned here a week ago.
ReplyDeleteSince then, our heat zoomed up. The index today was 115 degrees.
I didn't plant anything this spring or summer until the last few days.
I usually order lots of whatever seeds I want, and they've about taken over my refrigerator. So I have a new planting philosophy driven by high prices on salad fixings. And the need to consolidate seeds. I'm way over planting everything. Thinned seedlings on broccoli and so forth will boost my salads immensely. Plus it's so hot and humid it's all jumping up in a hurry!
I am planting some things too normally sown much earlier. Like okra. It loves this heat and usually makes until it gets cold. It has several months here before cold weather arrives so I think there's time. And bush beans.
I think fall/winter may become my favorite time to garden.
I called fall starting yesterday (Minnesota). The temps trended down 15 degrees in the blink of an eye. Our Purple Martins disappeared late last week. I will miss their song.
ReplyDeleteOh too early for fall for me. I feel like my garden is just starting to come in.
ReplyDeleteDebbie in MA
This is interesting, Patrice. We are in a different part of the country now and I am trying to learn the seasons, but I have almost been "Calling Fall" for at least two weeks now.
ReplyDeleteI chuckle every year when Don calls fall - adorable, romantic, subjective, a little ridiculous but cute.
ReplyDeleteEven though here in FL it’s hot hot, one day within the last week I was wondering when Don was going to “call fall”. Glad it’s official now. I am putting a pot of beans in the oven today. I tend to cook them more when it’s cooler out. Wishful thinking I guess😁.
ReplyDeleteYes! As I took the dog for a walk early this morning, I thought it felt like Fall. No bird songs, cool damp air, overcast skies. So here in the Mohawk Valley in Oregon, it has turned toward Fall, even tho afternoon temps will be over 80.
ReplyDeleteI called fall a few days ago. I base it on certain birds leaving the area and how the leaves look on the trees.
ReplyDeleteYour blog post about "calling fall" sparked a round-the-campfire discussion at a campgrounds in the mountains of Arizona last night. None of us had heard of this before and wondered what Don says. "Hi, Fall!" "Come on, Fall!"
ReplyDelete-Don- I can see why you all were confused about this. Fall is a very willful and obstinate season. You have to be very firm with autumn. Don't try to be its friend. Use short commands like "Come fall!" or "Heel autumn!". You may find a choke collar to be efficacious. Hope this helps
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