ASHLAND —
Tomorrow is the official start of fall and it feels as if a distinct turn in the season is actually going to happen this time.
Finally, the long, dry summer we've been trudging through since what should have been spring is coming to a close. While a little blast of late fall Indian summer is still welcome to come along too, I'm ready for a definite change in the weather.
The last few days have been wonderfully crisp, accented by a brilliantly blue September sky. The chilly breeze has swept away the heavy fatigue that settled on my shoulders with the first heat wave and only grew with each consecutive oppressive blast.
Last week’s days of rain felt cleansing and rejuvenating. For the first time in weeks, things seem alive and energized instead of tired and worn.
The few flowers in my garden that managed to survived the long, brutal summer have perked up. The blooms appear more vibrantly colored and the mulch is noticeably fragrant.
Even the leaves in the woods around my home are starting to hint at turning colors other than just a dusty brown. Some are even drifting onto my lawn, creating isolated patches of kaleidescope patterns. They tease at the days of potentially brilliant fall foliage to come.
All of the peppers on my garden bushes are boasting various crimson shades now too and my fall squash and greens are bursting with new energy.
The dusk that creeps in earlier and earlier, drives me inside for now welcome evenings of cooking dinners of chili and cheesy casseroles. No longer is the stove or oven a dreaded producer of even more oppressive heat.
In the morning the darkness lingers later, too. I love opening the shades in the early morning to see heavy condensation still lying on the cars in the driveway, no longer driven away by the first rays of scorching sun.
The heat of the afternoon is mild enough to crack the windows instead of cranking up the air conditioning. I love hearing the staccato of laughter and shouting from children playing in the street in the late afternoon and early evening instead of the whining of the air compressor.
The last weeks have ushered in the kind of weather that is comfortable for blue jeans and a t-shirt, but requires another layer after the sun goes down. It has sent me diving into the depths of the closet for those worn yet beloved sweatshirts and has set off the migration of summer clothing from in my dresser draws to boxes in the attic.
The deep of night is cold enough too to snuggle deep into the fluffy down comforter once again. It too having been reintroduced from its summer hibernation in the closet.
Once again the season for long leisurely walks in the woods and late-night campfires has come along with football and pumpkins.
Oh, how I savor these few fleeting weeks of the year, with all their little rituals and romance. They go by so fast giving way to the gray of November and the long slog of winter.
Maybe Mother Nature will see fit to stretch out this transition just a little longer, as a reward for blending so blandly the last seasons together.
CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
Local News
CARRIE STAMBAUGH: Finally, a turning of the season
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