Autumn or Fall as some people refer to it is one of my favorite times of the year.  To me it is like the Earth taking in a deep breath just before a long slumber.

Even in a person
most times indifferent
to things around him
they waken feelings
the first winds of autumn

— Saigyo

 

Everyone feels the pull of Autumn.   Plants and trees make their final push to grow, dig deep, and get ready for a long sleep.  They then blanket the ground with their leaves, knowing that they will help them survive and produce for another year.

Autumn is a time for reflection, and a time for thanksgiving.   It is a time to look back over the year, applaud your accomplishments, and to learn from your mistakes.  It is a time to reflect on what worked on the farm or in the garden, and what did not work.  A time to make goals and plans for the next planting season.  It is also a time to slow down, to enjoy, and rest.  Autumn issues in winter, and winter is a time when the Earth sleeps, and gets ready for the wakening of Spring, and the hard labor of Summer.

I enjoy Autumn, the change changes in the color, the changes in the weather.  It is the time of preparation for the next planting season.

I hope that everyone will allow some time in the next few weeks to look at the Earth, what it has given us this year, and be thankful for its bounty.   And to also reflect on next year, and what we will do with the partnership we have with it and nature.