Keep your eyes peeled upward and watch the tops of the tree canopies for an ever so slight change in the chlorophyll when the leaves start to dull in color. Perhaps a glimpse of orange or red will appear at the very tips of the leaves. The sumac will burst open in fire engine red as if in a race against all the other foliage. Sometimes this occurs as early as August. Suddenly, a cool night arrives in the lower 40s or even 30s, demanding a sweater or jacket to be added for brisk mornings or for evening strolls. Geese will fly in formation overhead to the south and acorns will start to drop. Apple picking arrives, pumpkins appear in the fields, and that intoxicating smell of the changing earth will waft by you in a fleeting second. Savor it! You might even find yourself singing along to Cheryl Wheeler's famous hit, “When Autumn Comes to New England”!

Growing up in rural Connecticut, I felt these signs at an early age. No one had to teach me. Our backyard was a forest, my playground. My senses were on full alert to welcome my favorite time of year. (Mostly, because Halloween was part of the mix). Fall was the real deal in my family. And all the excitement and activities that make up autumn in New England stayed with me through adulthood. I once mentioned here, that fall is my heart throb. I can never get enough of this most enchanting season that Mother Nature has gifted to us all.
Soon the winds of change will unfold. Before you know it, it will be here. Vermont's back roads are calling you! So...are you ready for fall in Vermont???? Glorious, awesome autumn! Bring it on



HAVE A BLISSFUL SUMMER EVERYONE! ctyanky
