Fall is on its way
The weather has shifted toward fall. I first felt it three days ago — a cool breeze in the air and much cooler nights. I've actually been using my blanket on the couch, and last night I put on a sweatshirt.
I love the fall. I mean, I love each season for each of their unique characteristics, but there's something about the fall that really calls to me.
The colors of fall are absolutely spectacular out here in North Carolina. It was a dream my whole life to live in a place where the leaves changed, and it's so wonderful to finally be here.
The changing leaves are so affected by the weather that you never really know exactly when they'll start (though we still have a couple of months before that happens) or how long they'll last, so you have to get out and enjoy them as much as you can, once they start showing their colors. That uncertainty and unpredictability actually makes it more special. It requires me to be aware and appreciative, so I don't completely miss out on something that comes only once a year.
I'm a huge fan of coziness, too. I love blankets and sweaters and bundling up in layers. I love sitting by an indoor fire and drinking hot beverages — though I unfortunately haven't had access to an indoor fireplace for several years now — haha!
I also really enjoy the natural draw I feel to retreat from the rush of summer's busyness. When the weather is nice out, there’s more of a draw to spend time outdoors, and there are more activities available to do. I typically feel a little guilty if I spend too much time inside, when the sun and warmth are calling me to come out and enjoy them.
Spring and summer are also times of quick growth and so much change. Most of our food grows during these two seasons, so for gardeners and foragers, there’s a lot of constant attention and action that’s needed. By the end of the season, I start getting a little tired of garden maintenance, as much as I love it and will be sure to miss it in the coming months.
In our modern day world, we're so used to having everything available to us all year round, that we don't realize that things simply aren't available all year round out in nature. It took me learning to forage, and regularly shopping at the farmers market to really start noticing how short each plant, fruit or mushroom's season actually is.
Just like the fall leaves, when I started mostly eating according to season, I really started appreciating foods more than I ever had. If I don't stay aware and take advantage of the opportunity to eat them while they're in season, I miss out on that food for a whole entire year.
Obviously, there are some exceptions like apples, onions, garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets and cabbage, but those are all things that can be stored long term anyway, so they've historically been eaten out of season for generations.
Although the fall is calling and it's on its way, there's still a lot of warm weather ahead, and I'm doing my best to enjoy as much of it as I can, before the cold and the shorter days set in.
Last week I took a trip into the forest to do some mushroom hunting. I waited a bit too long after the last rain, and most of the edible mushrooms I found were already past. But I did find some black trumpet mushrooms that were still in a good state, so I brought those home to eat.
I never in a million years thought I would find black trumpet mushrooms on my own (Last two photos in the gallery above), without having a guide tell me where to look. They camouflage themselves really well, like morels, but I found these ones without even actively looking for them. It was such a fun surprise and I now have the spot memorized, so I can check back there again.
Living in a distractible city, I've found myself slipping away from the connection to nature that I cultivated up in my little forest cabin in Colorado. There I couldn't not be connected to the natural world around me, because it surrounded me every moment of the day.
Although the city I live in has integrated the natural world better than a lot cities, it's still a city. I don't know quiet here, and the light pollution drowns out the stars. The natural smells are interrupted by wafting smells of car exhaust, or breweries brewing beer, or gas powered weed eaters, or fabric softener escaping from dryer vents.
These are all things I probably wouldn't even have noticed much before living out in my little Colorado cabin, but I now realize how much they drown out our beautiful natural world around us. And that makes it harder for humans to connect with that natural world.
Having this realization made me a little sad, but realization is the first step toward change. Knowing that it’s much more challenging to maintain a connection with the natural world where I am motivates me to actively find ways to connect — paying attention to the shifting weather, for example; noticing the leaves that are beginning to turn; observing how the sun’s position has changed and how that affects my garden. In short: actively expanding my awareness beyond the human-created distractions, to see what nature has to offer in any given day.
And through the simple act of expanding my awareness this week, I’ve realized that fall is on its way.
Hi, I’m Kristen!
I envision a world where you and I rediscover what it is to be human, through connection with ourselves, each other and the natural world around us.