September is my favorite month

I’ve always loved autumn. Maybe it’s because my birthday is in September, so I grew up with a sense of anticipation about the end of summer, the beginning of autumn. But there have been some other great “firsts” in September. It was when I “test drove” my first horse, a Thoroughbred named Deelee, and brought him home. In September a year later, I rode him in my first three-day event, at Donida Farm in Auburn. September was when we bought our little farm, where we live to this day. Best of all, September was when I fell in love with Dave, and knew I'd spend the rest of my life with him.

I love how fall smells, that crispness to the air, especially in the morning, that you can practically drink in with each breath. Starting in mid-August, I test the air every day as I walk out of the house, and when I can finally smell fall in the air, it brings a smile to my face.

We’re getting ready for winter now. I’ve been doing the fall pruning, and am ready to pick the apples and plums (they're late this year). We’ve brought home truckloads of firewood from the cabin, and it’s stacked in the barn. Soon Dave will clean chimneys, and we’ll be ready to light the woodstove. I’m looking forward to packing away the shorts and tank tops, and bringing out my favorite sweaters and jackets. I’m also looking forward to having more time for indoor things, like quilting and sewing.

We’re lucky to live in a place that has four distinct seasons, each with its own rhythm and beauty. Autumn in the Northwest brings shorter days, but it also brings color to the woods as the leaves turn red and orange and yellow, thick carpets of leaves to kick as I walk the trail, and more time to spend with friends and family.

Oh, and in case you were wondering... my umbrella lives just inside the front door, all year round... just in case.