I love fall! Of course, you don’t hear many people professing a dislike of this season. Even those of us who know the bitter north winds of winter, along with ice and snow making passage precarious, is breathing down our necks, we still love this time of transition. Only the deep curmudgeons among us could feel animosity for autumn.

Maybe it’s the fact we do know winter is coming that makes fall so special. Knowing this season is fleeting I want to stay here and be present as long as possible. I want to enjoy early morning walks with my dog, Boone, when I can feel the chill of night still brushing against my bare face. I wish to remain longer feeling the warm sunshine on my back in the afternoon which gives way to a crisp evening perfect for pulling on a jacket and enjoying bonfires. These are the days when those of us in the middle of this country can easily run through all four seasons of clothing in a day. Morning sweatshirts and jackets give way to shorts and t-shirts by midday only to swing back to long pants and shoes that don’t expose our toes by evening.

But, despite the wardrobe changes, I wish I could linger longer here in this time of In Between. If we’re paying attention, fall reconnects us with the rhythm of the earth. It reminds us of the value of releasing the old, that which no longer feeds us, that which no longer urges us to stretch and reach for more but rather to make space for the new. That, of course, requires living with emptiness for a while as those new things, people and experiences make their way to us, but nature this time of year is perfect demonstration of the beauty found in accepting that letting go. 

This season also reminds us of the abundance of nature that is always surrounding us. Fall harvest is in full swing and country contrails of dust rise behind big trucks making their way from field to elevator and back again gathering and delivering the bounty from our fields.  These fields may be brown with ripe grains and stubble, but the pastures and woods are vibrantly alive with the deep reds of the sumac, bronze of the big blue stem and the varied oranges, yellows and reds of the leaves on the hardwood trees lining the hills and creeks.

This is a time of glorious celebration not just of the bounty of the earth but also of having made it through the brutal heat of summer. And knowing fully well we will soon be facing bone chilling cold, I wish to revel in awareness of every moment of the beauty and sensory delights of this season. 

But, there is also work to do. Since that winter blast of cold is inevitable this is also the time to prepare for whatever that might mean for us this year. It’s time to cut and gather wood, do any weatherproofing needed and to finish fall clean up around the homestead. And we’re not the only ones preparing. To Boone’s chagrin, squirrels are busier than ever gathering acorns that have dropped from the pin oak at the end of my front walk. Hummingbirds have stopped showing up at their feeders and it won’t be long until migrating geese take their place to feast on errant after-harvest grain in the fields.

For now, though, I’m happy to be right here – in the In Between.