HEY! IT'S FALL, Y'ALL!

This year the Autumn equinox occurs on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 9:04 pm EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. The Autumn equinox is when the sun is exactly on the equator and we have 12 hours each of daylight and darkness. But the best part of  all? IT’S THE FIRST DAY OF FALL!!!

Chilly nights and flannel shirt days rank high on my scale of perfect weather. Now, if you’re a beach person, my condolences… Although my tomato plants are sad little skeletons compared to what they were a month ago, and most of the herbs have gone to flower and seed, I have to admit, I’m enjoying the relief from the morning chore load I had every day all summer long.

The freezer is full of tomato sauce and bag after bag of homemade pesto. There are still some herbs drying and a few that will give one more harvest. My apothecary is lined with vintage canning jars filled with herbs for medicine, teas, tinctures and cooking. Herb infused oils are ready to be decanted and used in salves, skin care and lotions. I spend my evenings studying, studying, studying herbal medicine and nutrition.

Fall, of course, is a time for harvesting and planning for the cold winter months ahead. Trees and other plants begin storing their energy in their roots, instead of expending it on foliage, fruits, and flowers. The chipmunks around here have spent all summer scurrying back and forth from the seed trays, stuffing their cheeks and packing the bounty into their tunnels all around the property. Woodshed Red, as we call the red squirrel who has taken up residence there, has filled an entire wooden crate with pinecones, stuffed bedding between his chosen logs and will continue to be a regular all year long at the feeders. The hummingbirds are suddenly absent and their nectar feeders hang lonely and neglected. The buzzing of the bumble bees around the anise hyssop is noticeably quieter. Mother Nature seems to have hung out her Closed for the Season sign and I’m taking her cue and heading indoors.

I’m already dreaming of apple crisp, pumpkin bread, and hot caramel lattes. There’s studio work to be done in preparation for the Fall Harvest Fair, but I’ll be stealing pockets of time to set up Wilbur, our friendly scarecrow, in a chair on the front porch and decorate with colorful pumpkins, gourds and Mums. I know there will still be days with warm temps and I’ll be rolling my eyes as I drag my sandals and short sleeve shirts back out of the closet, but for now I’m relishing the promise of trees soon dressed in Autumn glory, the driveway peppered with lovely acorns and Mother Nature gently nudging us inward to rest and restore.