I awoke to a distant, but familiar cool breeze on my exposed skin. I was tucked under my covers, wearing a tank top and girlie boxer short set a friend had gifted me on my birthday. For the first time, in a long time, I was sleeping sans AC. With the two windows in my bedroom cracked open, I awoke that morning to a cool breeze, and the warm sun. I could hear the neighbor watering her garden, and the noise was overwhelmingly calming. Peaceful. It was early, for a weekend. But I wasn’t bothered by the 7:00am wake-up call.
As I was lying there, slowing working my way out of a foggy slumber, I pulled the covers down and let the sun and breeze peak in on me. I turned to my nightstand and turned on my ipod, listening to the sweet tunes of Ben Harper as I let the outside, in.
Fall. I could feel its presence, its hesitant, reluctant entrance in the air outside. Autumn. My favorite season and time of year. Cosmo nuzzled up next to me, purring, and warm to the touch from the sun. I closed my eyes and contemplated the upcoming season, the wrap up of a great summer.
Later that day I’d be spending the afternoon on a boat, with a group of close friends, on a lake, quite likely sipping a cold beer as the wind breezed through my hair (now minus 6 inches). Not long after, Labor Day will be here, marking the end of yet another summer, this year to be celebrated in Reno.
And things will begin to cool off.
The weather, the calendar. Things will become less hectic, weekends with fewer obligations and plans. A summer that has so effortlessly flown by, jam-packed, filled to the brim with sun and fun, heat and humidity, cocktails and patios, road races and triathlons, long weekends and beaches- it will slowly fade away. In will creep a new season. My favorite season.
I will soon be in long-sleeve shirts, flannel pants, and an extra blanket at this time of morning. Reflecting on new plans. For Columbus Day and apple picking excursions. Cider, and pies, apple crisp and hayrides. Sam Adams October. Leaves changing, and falling. Sweaters. Fall tones, crisp sounds and smells outside. Wood stoves burning, pumpkin picking. Thanksgiving.
Around the corner, new plans and new memories.
New possibilities.
Skrinkering Hearts 
That sounds so perfect. What a great day. Isn’t it the best when you wake up and feel peaceful– it is like the day can’t go wrong.
Fall is my favorite season too, absolutely, my fav. I love Sam Adams October, apple picking and my fall wardrobe… oh and my birthday. I love that!!!
I love fall too. It sounds like a good outlook on things to be looking forward to the new possibilities.
That was sweet. And I love the transition from SAM Summer to SAM October, that’s hot.
I’m looking forward to autumn as well. Not for the break in the routine (as there surely won’t be any break), but for the chance to finally have some comfortable weather.
And, I dig Octoberfest.
clearlykels- a fall birthday! you lucky stiff. and you can celebrate with octoberfest which is totally swell. fall rocks.
delton- new possibilities, i think, are always a good thing.
chris- for some reason i figured you’d approve of the sam switcharoo. frankly im not a big, BIG octoberfest girl, since it’s a bit darker than im used to. but this year, ive decided that it’s going to be the “year of sam” and i will embrace all things sam related, each season, accordingly.
lord chimmy- hey! your comments worked! the weather is one of the best parts of autumn, huh? glad to hear you dig the sam.
Ohhhh I can’t wait! Football is here too!
I have to be honest…I hate fall. I hate that summer is over more than I actually have anything against fall itself, but I always get really sad (it used to be really bad) and have a couple of days when I am just in a rotten mood.
I love the fall. It always feels like “family” to me. We always go apple picking, bake tons of apple things, and just spend time together. I love hiking through the forest with my kids in the fall, I just love everything about the fall. I also happen to love the summer, spring, and winter. I seem to get excited about each new season coming. It does feel like new beginnings.
I love that picture you painted. It’s exactly how it goes when Labor Day is rolling around, you are remembering the fun summer, but also what you have to look forward to with the onset of fall.
*Including Sam Adams October!
fall is my favorite too. while i don’t miss school, i do miss school supplies.
You know how much I love fall don’t you? Now I love it even more after reading this post. Take me to Reno please.
I can’t believe summer is going to be over… it has flown by! Are u on the East Coast? I would live to be there for the fall season, not too crazy about the winters there, though :)
wow very eloquently said!
thanks for stopping by and commenting – i love your blog! also, that carrie bradshaw quote? I LOVE IT!
I love fall – my favourite season. The thing I miss most about living in the east, and no it is (shockingly) NOT the -40 blizzards, are the colours. While Vancouver is beautiful with its beaches and moutains and everything, nothing beats an eastern autumn. sigh …
I am never sad to see the summer slip away, and Autumn to come knocking. Never. =-) I would rather be cool than swelter in DC humidity.
Ahhhh… if only it were a longer season here. I love it, too!
Oh, and I cut my hair, too! Yay!
I can’t wait!
Gosh…it’s still in the mid-90’s here, but seeing how we had been in the 100’s, this could be the cooling trend that takes us into Fall…I wish it felt more like fall than a partially eaten Jolly Rancher candy!
Yeah college football!
My favorite season. In Northern California it’s about cool mornings but still hot afternoons, the smell of fireplaces, leaves changing color, lots of apples, some apple cider, Halloween….oh…and my birthday! I am a bit biased, but Fall is by far the best of the four seasons. You’ve said it just right!
Just found you by way of your comment on Blogging Barbie’s site; wonderful writing. I love summer, but there’s something mysterious and alluring about fall.
Thanks for stopping by! Your writing is beautiful.
And ripe blackberries to make cobbler with…don’t forget that benefit of fall!
Does wordpress still hate me?
Woot!! I’m in!
OK…now…what I tried saying about a gazillion times before (and I so hope that they don’t show up because then I’ll look like a ‘tard):
Fall is my favourite season, too. With October being my absolute favorite month. Pumpkin patches, haunted houses, caramel apples, my birthday, sweaters (but no coat), hot chocolate…what’s not to love, yo?
Oh, and even though I dislike Columbus and everything he stood for, I do enjoy the day dedicated to him. ‘Cuz it’s my birthday.
I think I need to tell you one more time that my birthday is in October. Just in case you didn’t get it the first thousand times I said it. Sheesh…I’m crazy today.
oh, I loves me some new possibilities! I live for them!
ammanners- i know, and the flippin fantasy drafts are starting! and i know how much we both love those!
am- im sorry to hear that you hate fall! hopefully summer will ease to an end and it wont be a huge transition this year.
tori- you made me laugh saying you love all the seasons. i guess each of them have their good “things.” it totally doesnt surprise me that you’d be doing lots of cooking in the fall!
claire- i always feel this way at this time of year. something about the summer to fall switch does it for me. oh and the beer, of course.
sizzle- i looove school supplies. and back to school shopping. even if im not going back to school.
egan- i do know that you dig the fall. another thing we have in common. i bet i could fit anna in a suitcase, but you? im not so sure…
appletini- yup, in new england. winters do kind of suck here, but it’s worth it for the falls!
libby- thank you for stopping by and saying hi!
i love carrie bradshaw, and anything satc related (as a lot of the people who stop by here do!). you’ll probably learn that real fast if you stick around!
finn644- i hear ya. a big NO to the winters, but hell yes to these autumns. id love to go to vancouver one day; sounds beautiful.
ryane- oh the humidity sucks. finally some CRISP air around the corner!
justrun- i think last week was the cut hair week! seriously, like four people i know did it!
sue- :)
evans- mmm, jolly ranchers. in the candy form, not in the air feeling like that. here’s hoping you get a cool front soon.
sarah- i have lots of friends with fall bdays! what a great time for it.
courtney- thanks for stopping by and saying hello! hope you’ll come back again.
molly- thank you! and thank YOU for stopping by here!
meno- mmm… sounds delicious!
amanda- haha, finally! nope, doesn’t appear to hate you. (i shut my block on you off!) ;)
amanda- woot! woot! you are IN like schwin. ??
amanda- there is NOTHING not to love. seriously.
amanda- your bday! woot! im marking it down immediately.
amanda- haha, you are cracking me up lady.
liv- you and me both sister.
I went shoe shopping today (I’ll get to your post in a minute) and feel the need to share my finds.
Ok … I bought a pair of black strappy type sandals for 4 dollars!!! Marked down from 30! And then I bought another pair of brown high-heeled sandals with a cute buckle positioned perfectly for 30 dollars marked down from 60 and a pair of Champion runners for 15 dollars! Marked down to 30 and then half off. Nice huh?
Ok. You know I love fall. And if you don’t just scour all the memes I’ve done and if any of them asked for my favourite season, I wrote Autumn for sure. And I love if for all the reasons you’ve said. It’s just such a cozy month. And cozy means cuddling. Maybe cuddling with a cute guy ;)
oh airam how i love thee! you just mentioned four of my favorite things- shoes, cuddling, fall, and cute boys. i love that you shared all your shoe finds with me. they sound like absolute gems! im so happy for you. i went shopping today and i got a 3/4 length silky type shirt in autumn like tones, a blue tank top (on sale), a white shirt (on sale), and a new pair of sunglasses to replace the ones that i lost (that got tossed, with myself) while on a jetski this weekend. i also got the mother effer of all bruises known to man, i shit you not.
I love Autumn, my favorite season…and I love how you make Fall the start of a new cycle!!!
I bet that you can actually SMELL the scent of Fall, huh?
I am now actually craving Autumn, which I love and which you just described perfectly. Summer is great, I love the summer shoes and skirts and patios and all…but Autumn is just perfect. In fact, I think I am going to go dream about turtlenecks and boots.
I love Autumn and I love how your described it. It feels like a sense of order returns. And autumn fashion is so much more glamorous than summer.
And skinkering hearts skills saunter their way in through your words once more.
Love the descriptions, made me feel as if I weren’t in Cali but experiencing it all with you!
How this post made me miss living on the East coast… or close to it, anyway. ;)
joanne- im always amused by the newness in things. change is good.
appletini- you bet!
ruby- booooots! i cannot wait to bust out the boots!
guilty secret- i couldn’t agree more about fall fashion. i live for it.
a life uncommon- i think you my friend, need to make a new england trip this fall!
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