Crisp in the Fall...
Has autumn started at your end?
Astronomically, we are two weeks into the Fall as the Autumn equinox for the Northern Hemisphere has already occurred on 22nd September.
However, I prefer phenological signs. No leaves are falling in my area, but these brown leaves (which could possibly be due to other reasons like sickness) in my window, coupled with slightly cooler school runs in the morning, are a signal that Fall is on the way.
This gap between astronomical events and the actual change of season is called Season Creep. I didn't know this term until recently. This delay in seasonal change doesn't mean that the sun was not directly above the equator on 22 September; it just means the Earth is going through climate change and that the onset of seasonal changes greatly depends on the geography of different regions, which, of course, everybody knows. This preamble was to tell you that where I live, summers usually extend till October.
Haven't I started ranting a lot about climate this year? I am getting old.
Anyhoo, those brown leaves made me think about Autumn which led me to recall an article about creative impotence in colder months by @cranium.
I found that article interesting because I thought it was just me who felt depressed in colder months. I don't like Summer as well. Spring is the only season which I find uplifting but unfortunately, it doesn't last long here. It comes and goes in a blink of an eye.
Back to Fall...
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." - Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
This sounds like a very optimistic quote for a season like Fall. However, I believe it depends on the glass half-full or half-empty mentality. I considered myself as the former personality but when it comes to Fall, I'm stuck on the crisp-in-the-fall part. Crisping. Dying. Falling. Vanishing. I don't see the signal of new life.
This year, however, I'm embracing this season with open arms. Probably because Summer had already been so rough that I feel a bit tougher now. I haven't grown a thick skin, but I do feel that I'm in a better place now, both literally and figuratively.
So what, if the chlorophyll from leaves is fading? It's time for xanthophyll and carotenoid to bring out the beautiful yellows and browns.
You know after leaf-abscission, plants and trees tend to retain more moisture because there are no leaves that transpire it. This moisture conservation helps them survive the cold dry months.
That's the beauty of nature. Everything happens for a reason, and those who seek answers find them in the universe. With this positive mindset, I hope this abscission which happened before the autumn in my life, happened for good reasons unknown to me as of yet.
Your post is much deeper than this question: Has autumn started at your end?, as usual, but I want to answer it because the other one is too deep and too difficult for me. Maybe it's because I have a final and simple statement that says, I don't like autumn because it's a prelude to the great cold that my body can't take anymore, although I'm currently in a more southern part and the winters here are not so raw as they usually are in the northern part of the country.
There are some trees in our yard that are still wrapped in a huge green crown, and even though the leaves have been falling steadily for quite some time, they still look suspiciously spring-like, which definitely confuses my senses and makes me wonder why the hell it's getting cold right now. On the other hand, I saw yesterday that in the city the leaves of the trees have already started to fall in a typical autumnal way, maybe later than other times. On a third note, every few days I read disturbing news about flowering trees and bushes in various parts of the country and I don't want to think about it, I have enough personal problems anyway. I'll take your line in this case: "Everything happens for a reason". Even if we don't find out the reason, very soon we will see the other consequences. They are clearly visible in winter usually.
My actual feelings about Autumn are much deeper than this post. It makes me anxious for no apparent reason. But yeah, some of the lowest times in my life were in Fall.
I remember reading how you don't like the colder months. I'm sure South will treat you better this year.
Hmmm... Season Creep?
I don't know which news you are talking about. It's easier said than done, but try not to stress yourself with things that aren't in your control. How's your health now?
For sure.
In recent days, apart from the fact that yesterday geomagnetic northern lights were visible again in almost the whole country (only I didn't see it😆), which is absolutely atypical for Bulgaria, but it is not the first time, there were several news about blossoming plum trees on the southern coast or blooming lilacs somewhere in the mountains. In Bulgaria, the seasons are, or at least were, very specifically distinguished from each other, with all their typical characteristics. And of course, the blossoming of the trees is a sign of spring, not a prelude to autumn or winter. And usually by this time of year the leaves should have already turned color and fallen, not like the big trees in our yard that don't seem to have any intention of shedding their green color this year. So, I think everything is messed up right now.
I understand your feelings about autumn, mine are probably the same. In addition, I have some sort of cold allergy that gets worse over the years and my body starts showing it even when it's not that cold - it knows it's winter, so - horror, so it can't deal with this horror 😂 Not any more.
That's why I'm planning drastic changes for this winter. We'll see if they work out.
The disease is not completely gone yet, even though the treatment is over. Looking back over the years, I wonder if my body was strong or not. I think it's basically strong, but it can't handle stress (and that gets worse with age too). Because the doctor who finally diagnosed me and prescribed treatment told me: I've seen a lot of other patients, but with you, it is quite severe.
Now I think I need to go to her again so she can tell me what else I can do to speed up the healing process.
Thank you for your concern! 🤗
The next Solar Maximum is expected in the mid of 2025 which means increased solar storms and solar winds reaching Earth. That's why northern lights are seen more often this year and will probably only increase over the span of next few months. I used to blame everything to global warming but looks like sun is upto no good too. 😆
I wish you a speedy recovery.
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Such an artistry: I am not talking about your painting alone!
Beautiful expression, before I go any deeper in your questions. let’s just say: yes, we’re a bunch of opinionated girls... And no one is old—hush, stop saying that.
Anyway, I think people here, at least I do, like autumn because it’s the prelude to winter. And, of course, our winters are short-lived—not too rustic or harsh, which is a relief after the sweltering heat. But, guess what? I also feel a bit down when the air starts to get colder. I feel unusually sleepy, inactive, and low on energy. Maybe we’re like plants in that way, conserving energy as the seasons change. Or could it be that the shift in weather brings a sense of duskiness and gloom that affects our mood? No idea.
But I feel the change, a little too much. And lately, I’ve been wondering—where is autumn? Why is there no fall? The yellow and brown colors, the crispness in the air, it seems to be no where. It’s been worrying me, this absence of the season’s charm. Maybe it’s not just the weather that’s shifting, but something deeper that I can’t quite put my finger on... Something is creepy other than the season creep...
You are too kind. I am an old soul, people used to say that to me in my teens. 😛
Our winters are not that harsh but after long summers, that cold seems unbearable. Our bodies are accustomed to high temperatures, no matter how much we hate that.
I wonder if people get tired (both literally and figuratively) of generally the same season all around the year at equator or near poles?
Lately, we directly jump from air-conditioners to heaters. This is creepy. 😆
I like them all, the four seasons - here in Central Europe they were always quite even and not too extreme. That's changing a little. We are changing too. In other words, what I found pleasant years ago, I can no longer tolerate well today.
The point is: we can't change the course of the year or the weather. We adapt as best we can - and the best way to do that is to enjoy the benefits!
I want to enjoy all the seasons but first, they are not even. It's October and my air-conditioner is still on. Autumn will come and go in a blink of an eye, probably in November. Winters are dry here, that means sick kids for 2 months. With time, I have stopped enjoying things as much as I did before. There's always something that steals the joy.
Try to find it again, the joy! It is precisely these small, childlike joys that create such content, cosy moments...!
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