a touch of red

Autumn is my favourite season. I have so many wonderful memories of this time of year - cool crisp air, bright stars at night, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the wearing of homemade knit sweaters. There's something about the switch from lazy sunny days to the sweeping west wind that makes me want to clean house, travel, preserve every last fresh tomato, begin again. Perhaps it's just the "school year beginning again" feeling, even though it's been many (many!) years since I've been in school. The first breath of autumn air brings a sense of loss as well as the excitement of change, newness, a kind of vitality. Even as I mourn the end of summer, I welcome the turn of the year.