Enjoy the Fall Season

Despite the exceptionally wonderful and warm early-fall weather we have been enjoying recently, the calendar does not lie — and the fall season squarely is upon us.

For many New Englanders, autumn is our favorite time of year.

Even the warmest of days are tempered by cool nights, bringing a crispness to the air that is devoid of the stickiness of summer’s languid humidity. All of us (especially those of us who are getting on in years) breathe more easily when the dew point is not in the oppressive range.

Unlike summer, when the heat and humidity confine us to our air-conditioned homes, cars, and offices, fall beckons us to get outside and be active, whether we’re hard-core athletes or those who just like to take a nice walk.

Fall also is foliage season, arguably the most-glorious time of year in our region, when splashes of color are everywhere, bringing us nature’s palate that is a feast for the eyes. The French philosopher Albert Camus put it this way, “Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower.”

An autumn hike in the mountains of New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Berkshires truly is a Zen-like experience.

However, as with everything in life, fall is fleeting. By this weekend, the leaves already will be turning color in far northern New England and the profusion of reds, oranges, and yellows will drift southward over the ensuing few weeks. We recall being in Portland, Maine (when our children were younger and they were at a Columbus Day weekend soccer tournament) and the leaves turned color seemingly overnight during our stay.

So enjoy the fall while it is here and take advantage of the all-too-brief window of opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime for ourselves and our families.