fall

the thing i missed the most when i leaved overseas was the change in seasons. i know i've said this before and i'm sure i'll say it again. but i think we take for granted the magic of the seasons.

in perth, seasons were as follows: less hot, hot, super hot and unbearably hot. sure, it was colder in fall but it's a loose term. "colder" from summer is weather in the 20's, with a cooler wind. there weren't really any leaves changing colour or falling off the trees (in fact, they mostly started to thrive because it was less hot). this always made me sad because fall is my favourite season. truly.

yes, all of the seasons have their special thing but to me, there's nothing quite like fall. when it's cold enough to pull out scarves and jackets but sunny enough to sit outside at the cafe. when it's still light enough in the evening to stay outside (though now that the clocks have changed, it's dark...). when the apples taste better, fresh picked from the tree, and the market is full of local produce coming to harvest. i just think it's the best.

so you can imagine how happy i was when i woke in late september and noticed one random (possibly lonely) tree whose leaves had changed from the green of its neighbours to the fiery orange of fall. i was pretty stoked (i may have squealed). slowly the other trees joined in and soon i was looking out my window at the most spectacularly coloured leaves glittering in the sun.

as we get into november the leaves are falling from the trees, peppering the ground below. i'm sure my neighbours don't love the raking that they have to do, but i sure love walking/shuffling through the dried leaves. i love hearing them crunch under my feet. and i love the smell. it seems weird to say "rotting leaves smell awesome" but as most people will attest, they do. they really, really do.

we've had the most amazing weather in the past few weeks, very un-late fall in this area of the world actually. incredibly sunny, somewhat mild days without rain. so most montrealers (myself included) are out and about in droves. the trails of mont royal were loaded with people today, the cafes were jammed with folks sipping coffee in the sun. happy city-goers squeezing every last bit out of the sunny days before winter comes knocking.

which won't be too long from now i'm sure. the nights are getting colder. the chimneys have been fired up (no pun intended) and frost is becoming a daily fixture in the mornings. some trees are naked already, others on their way. mittens and tuques are being worn regularly. and of course, the clocks have changed, which means it's dark at 5pm.

but i look beyond all that and try not to worry about winter yet. i just look out the window and see the colourful leaves glittering in the sun and feel happy to be home.
xo