Musings from a homesick Yankee

One of the aspects of Facebook that I enjoy is that there are folks from all over the world who come to chat with friends, play games, and widen their little corner of the world. Kinda cool... we all speak the same language - makes talking with each other easier (except for a few terms that are country-specific!)

Some were asking what things are like here either in the USA or specifically Arizona. Many can wax poetic verses about the beauty they find in their corner of the world, and I find it discouraging that I can't do the same. I must be honest; I find little beauty in the desert. Maybe that is one reason I feel such a strong pull to leave.

Sure - there are areas that are lovely, yes there are areas where, at sunset, you simply cannot deny the existence of God for all the brilliant colors that flood your sight. But for the most part, what I see is dry, brown, lifeless. These pictures off to the side are about the only colorful flora we have around here! (the furry-looking one? I must admit that one is my favorite. When the sun hits it just right, it is really quite something to see!) Now, yes, Spring is another story, with all the desert plants in bloom but really, for most of the year - this is about how it looks.

What I miss is color. Really vivid color. Fall is, to me, all about the crispness of the air, the rustle of leaves loosing their color and vibrancy and falling gracefully to the ground. It is the smell of those first few fall nights, when folks put logs in the long-neglected fire places and the aroma of burning wood is carried across rooftops and through neighborhoods.

Fall is about the color of the trees, changing from an emerald green to brilliant jewel tones, the landscape transforming before your eyes. It is the crunch under your feet of leaves, or even perhaps an early frost. It is long pants, and long sleeved shirts and layering clothing to accommodate very chilly mornings and Indian Summer afternoons. It is about the Head of the Charles boat races in Boston, and McIntosh apples and honey-butter corn that is available for only a few short weeks. It is the home made apple cider and pumpkin patches that are really pumpkin patches, not lots like we have here, with all the pumpkins trucked in from elsewhere.


Fall, to me.... is this....