Wonders of Autumn

 Soon, Autumn will make its appearance, showcasing vibrant colors and filling our senses with all that it brings. After a brutal summer, we sigh in relief as the air conditioning is turned off and the windows are opened. This brings delight to everyone who has ever slept with open windows, watching the curtains flutter in the cool breeze, lulling them to sleep. 

When I wake up, I find the quilt our grandmother made wrapped around me as the coolness of the night has turned to cold. Getting out of bed may take a few extra minutes. I search through the drawers for a cozy flannel shirt or a forgotten sweatshirt, hoping they still fit. 

Looking out the window, I see Dad raking leaves into giant piles while Mom harvests the last of the vegetables from the garden, placing them into a basket for the long winter months ahead. 

We rush to eat breakfast, my siblings close behind, and then we race outside, getting faster and faster until we leap into the pile of leaves as Dad leans on the rake, laughing. He hands us the rake to continue his work we've undone.

The ground is damp enough to start a fire, so Dad pours lighter fluid on the pile. We watch as the smoke curls up and vanishes into the sky, leaving behind the unmistakable smell of Autumn. It becomes our job to use the wheelbarrow to gather the leaves from the smaller piles to the fire, and Dad reminds us not to dawdle. I remember seeing smoke from other leaf fires as our neighbors did the same, with joyful laughter from kids echoing throughout the neighborhood. 

Soon, the day will come when we search the roadside stands for the perfect pumpkins and pick apples from the trees, which will be transformed into pies, cinnamon applesauce, and sometimes caramel apples on a stick. I remember peeling the wrappers off the caramels, separating the dark from the light, sneaking one of each when I hoped, though I knew better, that Mom wasn't watching.

Halloween arrives, and we find ourselves in homemade costumes that Mom created for each of us. Sometimes, they were as simple as an old bed sheet with cutout eye holes and black circles drawn around them; suddenly, I became a scary ghost. My sister transforms into an old lady thanks to an old dress of Grandma's, complete with a wig and round eyeglasses. My other sister becomes the perfect girl from Mars, wrapped in a box covered in aluminum foil with cutouts for arms and legs, and a whimsical, made-up face crafted by Mom.

The end of Autumn always saddens me a little, as it brings so much joy, but truthfully, winter is approaching with a whole new agenda: sledding down hills, skating on frozen ponds, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. There will be hot chocolate and the smell of bread baking in Mom's kitchen. But for now, it must wait a bit longer, as the last of the colors descend to earth and the jug of apple cider is empty. Soon, I will wake up to a blanket of white and an extra quilt, admitting that Autumn has come to an end.

Mike 2925