It's been autumn in New Haven for a while now. It's been autumn for just about as long as I figure autumn is allowed to be, so I'm prepared for winter. If only it snowed prettily more often here in southern Connecticut.
Autumn in New England is one of my favorite things. There are very few things that I dislike about autumn (namely the unending cacophony of 'pumpkin spice latte' on my facebook wall). I like the cooling off of the weather, the hoodies and jeans and sneakers, the transition into scarf-wearing weather, and leaving coffee shops with a comfortingly warm cup of coffee in my hand.
This year, I traveled the seven hours through Connecticut and Pennsylvania to see Laura at Grove City College as a surprise, for her birthday. The drive was one of the prettiest I've ever taken, winding through rural New England roads and then across rural Pennsylvania. It was earlier in the season, so the leaves were well in the process of changing but not quite falling yet, and the fall color palette dappled with sunshine under the blue sky was just beautiful.
It's now later in the season, time for autumn to whisper about the onset of winter with an icy breeze, and the smell has faded from the earthy tones of autumn to the almost clinical cold of winter, which mostly smells like ice.
Many of the leaves have fallen from the trees. They're not bare yet, but they're getting there, and the leaves left are often browning. My walk in the morning is less colorful than it was several weeks ago, but fall-hued branches still arc out over the sidewalk and the street, and I enjoy the colors and the crisp feel to the air, being able to wear a thick scarf to keep my neck warm, crispy leaves on the sidewalk and the walk itself, which is just long enough.
This morning as I was nearing my destination, I saw a woman walking toward me. She had dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and I think she was wearing a grey sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. But in one of her hands, she had several leaves that were crimson and vibrant. I swear they were almost glowing in the morning sun. She left the sidewalk to pick up another red leaf, nestled beneath a sea of brown, dead leaves, and added it to her hand.
And then she walked off. I wonder what she was going to do with those leaves. But they were awfully pretty.
