As a California transplant, one of the best gifts of living in Colorado is the seasons. Real seasons: not just gradual transitions from sunny and warm to cool and rainy before it’s sunny and warm again. Yes, the ocean is lovely, and I do miss it. But, living at the base of the Rocky Mountains brings 4 very different views out my window every year, prompting me to tap into the transitions going on inside me at that moment.
The trees of winter stand patiently, like stick figures jutting up from the blanket of white, their bare branches reaching into the grey skies. After the hustle and bustle of the holidays has passed, rhythms slow. The garden lays dormant, days shorten, and thick down comforters invite extra hours of sleep. It is the season of rest.
A first glimpse of the bright yellow crocus announces the arrival of spring. Plans for the new garden are set in motion, soil tilled, seeds planted, and the songs of birds return to the air. Trees burst into shades of green as tulips and daffodils fill out the garden. Clothing is lighter and so is the spirit. It is the season of rebirth.
The days of summer are filled with the smell of sunscreen, the laughter of children free from school, and hours of daylight that extend well past a small child’s bedtime. Long summer days are meant for family vacations, ice cream cones, swimming pools, and star-gazing. The parched earth begs for water as the garden grows thick with produce, and the sweltering heat encourages lazy afternoons of nothingness but a good book, a hammock, and a tall glass of tea. It is the season of unfettered play.
The rumble of school busses and the gentle rustle of leaves herald the coming of fall. The days begin to shorten as children and parents settle back into routine and crock-pots reemerge on the counters. The morning air is crisp, and the fresh apples crisper. Fall offers a time to reflect on the year (almost) gone by, and be thankful. It is the season of introspection.
Unlike the subtle shifts from spring into summer and fall into winter, spring and fall push and pull at me, forcing me to step outside my comfort zone and into the growth zone. Both spring and fall bring offerings of beauty and growth but, of the two, I love fall. Truly, deeply love fall best. Always have. Each of its 3 months, September, October, and November, plentiful with treasure. Fall, like spring for me, is more than just a fresh view out my window; it is an event, a mental, and often physical, shift that takes place inside my soul.
September reestablishes order to the day. The excitement over a new beginning is electric. Classes resume and new unmarked notebooks are replete with possibility. Sunday afternoons are dedicated to football once again. In October, hearty meals simmer and bowls of crisp apples beg to be wrapped in caramel. The last leaves fall from the trees, a garden gate is left open after the final harvest, and the beds are left bare for the long winter’s rest while stashes of candy are carefully sorted and traded on Halloween night. November brings a renewed focus on gratitude, toasty fires, and quiet periods of reflection as the snow muffles the outside world. The bunnies have retreated to their burrows and thick sweaters warm the skin and the soul.
Oh, so many reasons to love fall…
The colors. The golds mixed with the blazing reds.
Crisp air and bright blue skies.
Jumping in leaf piles. 
Candles that smell like mulled cider and a stack of books.
Large bowls of popcorn. (OK, this is really year round for me.)
Crisp apples with melted caramel.
Warm sweaters and the crunch of the first snow.
The stark contrast of bare branches against the late afternoon sky.
My husband’s childlike love of Halloween and pumpkin everything (lattes, muffins, bread, pie…)
And of course, my Broncos!
These reasons, and more, are why, above all, it’s always fall!
Which season is your favorite and why?
by Mary Lanzavecchia 
A transplant from Southern California where I loved swimming in the ocean, but never ceased to miss the seasons and be bored by the endless parade of similar days, whether sunny or June gloom, I agree. The seasons of the year, like the “Seasons of Life,” make life richer.
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Coming from No. Cal, but San Diego was where my father grew up and we visited often. Every area, regardless on temperate climate, has its seasons which do make life richer.
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What a beautiful post!! Thank you for sharing it! You have such a poetic feel to your writing. i love it.
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Coming from a wonderful writer like you, this means so much! Thanks, Paula!
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I always dream of visiting the seasons… I’d love to drive up north and see trees that are red and orange and yellow… but Texas is much like California- warm until it rains, then there are a few cold days sprinkled in before its warm again.
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If you every get to make it up this way, Tiffany, come around late September to see the Aspen trees change colors in the high country. Absolutely stunning!
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Such a beautifully descriptive post! I love fall also- there is something about the crispness in the air and the crunch of the leaves that makes me happy. Virginia
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Thank you so much, Virginia, for reading and sharing.
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Hello, your comments about fall are so warm and inviting – have you thought about working for Hallmark! ; ) My favorite time of year is spring, especially in Colorado. It warms up and everything is reborn and growing again. Just thinking about spring warms me up on this chilly October evening! Enjoy the season – especially those crunchy leaves!
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Thanks, Marsha. Spring is always closely tied for my first place, but I love rustic hues and that’s, in part, what always tips the scales. That, and the fact that I get more time to just hang out. You know spring means garden around here, and garden means work. 🙂
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Gosh, this is a wonderful post, TM! I got lost in the rocking motion of your words, like a lullaby, and it helped my brain slow down just enough to think of the beauty of it all. I, too, love Fall the best. And, even though I’m still here in Cali (and could never, ever leave the ocean!), I feel the change in the air and know when fall has arrived. It’s nice to work in the vineyard, also, because we see the leaves change colors as the harvest ends, really showcasing the glory of this time of year. And, like your hubby, I love pumpkin, pumpkin everything! I made pumpkin soup just last night. Thanks for writing such a heart-warming piece. Could you send some of those delicious, crisp apples my way?! 😉 Yum! XOXO
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I’ll send the apples if you send the pumpkins soup, Kasey. :)And, if I worked on a vineyard, I wouldn’t be leaving either! 🙂 I miss the area, I do, but Colorado has become home. Even A, who cried through the first winter because it was too cold has come to believe there’s no place like home-in Colorado. 🙂 xoxo
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I think that is great! My whole family (except me) is from Colorado, and I used to love visiting my grandparents every summer. I always longed to get to go in the wintertime to experience the snow, but only two times did that happen. I didn’t feel the Central Coast was my home for the first 3-4 years I was here…I begrudged it mostly because I felt I got “tricked” into coming here and then stranded due to landing a job amidst a crashing economy. However, with any mention of moving back to So. Cal. Maycee would become incredibly upset, as she took to the area immediately, and now I have, too. As with everything…time changes our perspective if we allow it. 🙂
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Beautiful reminder of the blessings of each season. Thank you 🙂 One of the few winter sights that trump fall for me, however. are Christmas lights glistening against a backdrop of freshly fallen snow…….or any snow…….for that matter. Can’t be beat!
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Yep, those Christmas lights are pretty darn good too!
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A perfect meditation on fall. So nice I wish I’d written it!
Carol
http://www.carolcassara.com
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Thank you, Carol! That means a great deal coming from someone as talented as you.
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