Fall in Florida, "the art of subtly"

Of all the seasons’ fall is the most poetic.

Perhaps this is true as we remember fall’s warm color palette, the sounds and smells that inspires time-honored seasonal traditions, or maybe the season just teaches us the importance of letting go of things.

For anyone who hasn’t experienced an autumn season it’s hard to explain. Just try describing its vibrant colorful foliage spreading across the landscape, the sound of falling leaves, apple picking season, nighttime hayrides through a cornfield, a Norman Rockwell Indian summer day, and the sharp crisp flowing air that calls out for an extra layer of clothing.

Perhaps, what you don’t know you don’t miss. Or what you’re willing to give up in return for  year-round outdoor living, longer days and more reasonable temperatures is a fair compromise.

But, for those who are transplants from places such as New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Carolinas and are now Floridians still anticipating the arrival of that dramatic season in-between summer and winter you must alter your perception. Look for the subtle nuances around you and events that mark its arrival.

For me, a hardcore fall season lover, I look for the delicate differences to occur: a coolness that surrounds me in the early morning hours, the whimsical decorations that line up on my neighbors front yards, a calm breeze that that flows from my open window off the canal, the smells of pumpkin spice and cinnamon that are displayed in the stores as you enter, and the morning foot traffic visiting the local farmers markets.

And if for any reason you are the least bit moved by fall here in Florida, please consider the tradition of fall harvest and get a  pumpkin!

As I stated earlier, “Of all the seasons’ fall is the most poetic.”

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”   ― Henry David Thoreau