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Ahhhh, Autumn. In so many ways it is very refreshing with the smell of the fall foliage and the crunch of the leaves. The colors are vibrant with the fiery reds, brilliant oranges and translucent yellows. I have yet to see a photo or picture that can duplicate what Mother Nature paints with her brush strokes.
What memories come to mind for you in the fall? Is it the chill in the air which is a sign that the season is changing and winter will be following not far behind? It does depend on where you live and how quickly those seasons come. I am from North Carolina and the Autumn there is spectacular especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It can be breathtaking at times as well as mesmerizing.
Memories for me are plentiful from this time of year. I love spring as well and not quite sure which is my favorite, but I must say, the fall typically wins out when I reflect back on a few special times.
One time in particular I recall is that of a hayride in Virginia. I had lots of relatives who lived there and had farms, wagons and horses. On one particular day we kids piled into the wagon full of crunchy hay and off we went down the country roads and in all likelihood, singing and laughing. Another time I was remembering was a ride in a wagon in North Carolina as an adult. This ride was very different. We had raked leaves that afternoon and loaded them in the trailer, oops, wagon ha ha and the crunch was a blast. That was a leaf ride.
Crunching leaves is like nothing else. I imagine as kids most of us who live where we are blessed to have lots of hardwood trees such as maples, oaks and the like spent time jumping into piles of them much to our parents dismay after they spent hours raking. Yippee!. Another quick story is about my Gracie Bear dog I had for over 14 years. She enjoyed running through piles of leaves more than I did, especially if they had been rain soaked on the bottom of the pile so it made for a bigger mess. But oh what fun.
As we head into the Thanksgiving season, I will recount more tales of the Autumn. Stay tuned. More fun to come.