Tag: Autumn

Aloft in color

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 6 Comments
Hardwoods along the high school athletic field.

The Columbus Day weekend is typically touted as “prime foliage” across much of New England, though we can quibble. In truth, the leaves of the deciduous trees change color in waves rather than all at once. Many are already bare, while many others are still green. And this year, severe drought has taken a toll, too.

Sometimes they seem aflame.

While Allen Ginsberg once quipped, “New England, famed for red leaves,” the reality is that few trees fulfill that vision. Far more are golden or buttery. Still, we keep looking.

By the end of the month, our landscape will emerge monotone – and likely remain that way well into March. Knowing what’s ahead, we savor what we can now.

The Cocheco River at Whittier Falls.
Don’t forget to look underfoot, too. And don’t overlook the impact of purple.

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For my in-depth thoughts and photos reflecting New England’s fall folige, check out my posts from September and October 2013 at my Chicken Farmer I Still Love You blog.

TEN THINGS I LIKE ABOUT NOVEMBER

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 3 Comments

In all frankness, it’s the dreariest month. In a flash, the trees are bare. The switch from Daylight Saving Time has many folks going to work before daybreak and coming home after sunset. Still, we can try …

  1. Harvesting root crops.
  2. Chill mornings with fog wisps rising from ponds and rivers.
  3. Election Day. We can always hope for a miracle. A return to sanity, for starters.
  4. Ministry and Counsel retreat – even years in Deerfield, Massachusetts; odd years in Winthrop, Maine.
  5. Days can be warm enough to work outdoors … or go for a hike.
  6. No bugs. Beware of ticks, though.
  7. Neighborhood souper. Everybody brings a pot of their own creation, then eats what everyone else has concocted. It’s outdoors, though, rain or clear.
  8. Tagging a Yule tree.
  9. Thanksgiving dinner. Why mess with tradition?
  10. Community Thanksgiving service. It’s turned into a showcase for local church choirs.

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What do you like about November?

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A sampling of carrots and parsnips from our garden.

 

TEN THINGS I LIKE ABOUT OCTOBER

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 2 Comments
  1. Foliage. This is New England, after all.
  2. Cool evenings. You snuggle under the blankets, sleeping with the windows cracked slightly open.
  3. Apple Harvest Day outreach. Meet a Quaker’s our pitch.
  4. Mums in pots everywhere.
  5. Butternut squash soup.
  6. My annual survey of Charles Ives symphonies and then George Whitefield Chadwick’s.
  7. Pumpkins as décor … and as crisps and pies. Although we’re rather appalled by its spread into coffee and beer.
  8. Fresh unpasteurized apple cider.
  9. Sitting in the loft of the barn again, reading.
  10. Intense full moonlight.

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What do you like about October?

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Historic company housing for mill workers in Manchester, New Hampshire. I used to enjoy walking through the millyard this time of year.

 

TEN THINGS I LIKE ABOUT SEPTEMBER

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment
  1. The air turns crystalline. I love the clear blue sky.
  2. Dover Greek Festival. Every Labor Day weekend, fun dancing to a live band and singer. Don’t overlook the food, either. Anyone else know the meaning of kefi?
  3. Kids are back in school. Freedom’s in the air!
  4. Ditto for the crush of tourists. Mostly couples now.
  5. Some of the best days for swimming in the ocean happen this month, if a hurricane doesn’t blast all the warm water away.
  6. The equinox Riversing. It’s a mostly folk-based concert beside the Charles flowing past Boston. Join us if you can. We’re on the Cambridge side of the footbridge.
  7. Anniversary. My wife always gets the date wrong.
  8. Great time to hit the mountains. Not too hot, not too cold, not too crowded.
  9. Wild asters – big asters, too – grace the yard.
  10. More apple picking. We go for the drops on the ground. They’re half-price.

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What do you like about September?

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It’s a great time to get out in the countryside.