A bunch of you asked about my harsh feelings towards autumn--the season of scarecrows, pumpkins, spiced cider and colorful leaves. What's to hate about it? I'll tell you what's to hate about it.
For starters, I'm Green Girl in Wisconsin and in my state fall leads to winter--5 months of bitter cold, slush, ice, snow and misery. We're shut inside for half the year, struggling through knee-deep snow as we navigate our daily lives, bundling up to head out, stripping layers to return indoors. Our cars are cold and start hard, our recycling bins get frozen into snowbanks, we live like rodents in hours of darkness with short days and long nights. The simplest tasks--going to the store for a gallon of milk, retrieving the mail, walking the dog--become Major Endeavors when the temps dip below zero and the roads turn slippery. Winter's a massive pain in the ass and fall means it's coming.
If that's not enough of a reason, fall's also a season of death. Those crisp days mean crisp plants. I'm always watching the weather forecast and deciding whether to water and cover my vegetables to eke a few more weeks out of the harvest OR dig the works up. Inevitably, the years I dig up my garden and give up, the fall weather becomes balmy and warm. Fall's a total crap-shoot, a gardening gamble that makes this girl crabby. Fall means the end of flavorful tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers.
Of course, since I garden, fall means the death of all the flowers, too. Sure, we've got the bright mums and asters, but it's a last hurrah before the petals and leaves turn black and decompose.
Fall means the start of school, the end of lazy August days floating in the pool and staying up late. It means rushing around, sticking to the schedule and homework. Fall means layering sweaters, wearing socks and digging in the cupboard for gloves and hats.
There you have it, reader. Fall bites--I'd take spring and summer all year long if I could. You can argue all you want about pretty colors, handknit scarves, football, apples and the rest of it. This gal prefers daffodils and sunshine, the promise of new life and fresh starts.
My instincts are to flee or hibernate when fall arrives. I think the geese have the right idea--fly to warmer climates and wait it out. Or the bears--eat a ton of food and hunker down to sleep through winter.
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