I haven't gotten to experience a good northern fall in years, and I am so excited for this one.
All that aside, some of the maple leaves on our trees have started to turn. Instead of joy and wonder, I am filled with panic. There is so much to do, the harvest is soon, some plants need to get planted, and some need to get picked. Then there is the processing of the harvest. The house needs to get "painted" to protect it in the winter. The garage sale needs to happen, because who wants to go to a garage sale when it's 40 degrees out? It all needs to happen and it needs to happen soon. I am not ready for the seasons to change, but that doesn't really have any effect. The words "Winter is coming" have never meant so much to me as they do this year. I've never had my own home to care for, and I've never had a harvest like this come in. Everything this year has been last minute and panicked. Maybe next year we'll get the plants in the ground on time. Maybe next year we'll be ready.
I doubt it.
This year has been a major learning experience for us, and though the thought of fall and the inevitable winter fills me with dread, I am also so excited to be up north for these things. One day, I will know (somewhat) what to expect with our garden and yard. One day, we won't be scrambling to make sure the house doesn't fall apart.
Even with all of this panic and dread roiling around in my head, I am so excited for a the leaves changing. The crisp feel in the air and the smell of decomposing leaves. I'm also excited about the snow and the winter, but that excitement might fade fairly quickly after our first streak of bitter cold... we'll see. :)