Autumnal Equinox? Celebrate!

Autumn begins today, unless you've been observing meteorological Autumn since the start of September. Or if you're reading this from the Southern Hemisphere, enjoy the beginning of Spring! There are many other festivals, holidays and feasts celebrated around the world about now. Here's a list.

Autumn afternoon, grasses

Photo by J. Harrington

One of the beautiful aspects of this season is the quality late afternoon light takes on. A day or so ago, around mid to late afternoon the sun came out briefly while two does and their almost grown fawns were munching their way through the pears blown down in this week's storms. The light on the grasses and the deers' tawny coats was magical.

male cardinal

Photo by J. Harrington

Another reappearance this week brings back a male and female cardinal to the feeder. We noticed the bright red male a couple of afternoons and the strawberry blond female once. Autumn's colors aren't limited to tree leaves. With luck and a full feeder, the cardinals will add bright colors to all of Autumn, Winter and early Spring.

Someone must have made sure Mother Nature was reminded that astronomical Autumn starts today. The early morning temperature, under a mostly clear sky, was below 40℉ locally. At least that's what one of our smart phone weather apps told us. The breeze was strong enough that we almost thought of that horrible phrase "wind chill." This afternoon there's still a very cool breeze blowing from a southerly direction. That seem's unusual, but maybe we haven't been paying enough attention. Anyhow, if this weather ever settles into a more typical pattern, some time over the next couple of weeks or so we can expect our first frost. This morning, while cleaning up some dead branches brought down by our recent storms, we wore our down vest for the first time in months. We do seem to have arrived at that time of year.

Autumn Equinox

by Jacqueline C Nash

On this the first day of Autumn
the sun is now on the wane,
day and night are of equal length
so a balance of light and dark will reign.

Now the nights begin to get colder,
increasing darkness ensues,
the sap returns to the trees roots
and the leaves will be changing hues.

This is a time to look back on our past
and for a future to be planned.
The wheel turns to an ageing year
when we remember all things must end.

We must say farewell to the Summer
as Autumn leaves start to fall
and if we listen very hard we'll hear
the chill of Winter's call. 

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