Even though Kingston weather doesn’t always reflect it (October 27th snowfall, I’m looking at you), we are in the midst of autumn, and I am kind of loving it. So before the inevitable winter comes and stakes its claim – sometimes, it seems like it lasts half the year – here are some things to appreciate while you still can!
1. Leaves
You can’t deny the pleasure that you surely gain from walking through a crunchy bunch of leaves, or jumping into a pile of them. Leaves on the ground are iconic to this season, and we ought to enjoy them before they freeze altogether into giant leaf-sicles. Sometimes, when I’m walking down the street, a gust of wind blows and leaves tumble down from the trees, and that line from Bohemian Rhapsody plays in my mind: “Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see.” Okay, maybe that is a little weird – but the leaves really are beautiful, both on the ground and on their way down in their descent.
2. Colours
I just love the fall palette of colours, and seeing it in everything surrounding me is nothing but pleasing to the eyes. Furthermore, I think the Queen’s campus is particularly ravishing at this time of the year, with the cool stone of our buildings contrasting against the yellow, red, orange, and green on the ground and in the trees.
3. Pumpkin Spice, and Everything Nice
Call me basic, but I find the combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves to be delightful in both taste and aroma. Beyond pumpkin spice, earthy flavours are prominent this season, such as apples, brown sugar, cranberries, gourds, and seeds. These flavours give me an internal warm-and-fuzzy feeling; I will be enjoying the flavour combinations in as many forms as I can this season.
4. Crisp-but-Not-Cold Days
Sometimes, the in-between seasons provide perfect harmonious weather, and those days are wonderful. Sunny, with a light pleasant breeze; cool, but not cold, and far from freezing. Which leads me to my next point…
5. Fashion
Colours come into play again here, but besides that, fall means sweater weather, and sweater weather is the best. When I can get away with a cozy sweater or a light jacket instead of a full coat, I’m a happy camper. Same goes for tights and a skirt instead of pants. Throw cute scarves, and boots or sneakers (which sometimes become impractical once snow becomes a thing) into the mix, and life is good.
6. Dry Floors
Last but not least: you know when there’s snow outside, and everyone walks into a building and tracks some of that snow inside, and it immediately melts, leaving behind a soggy shoe mat and/or puddles of dirty water and slush, radiating from the doorway? Well, in autumn, we don’t have to deal with that.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy this season, many of them relating to the fact that it’s not winter. Honestly though, there are lots of things to enjoy about winter too, but maybe that’s for another article. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the present by “falling for fall” as much as I am!