Do you smell it in the air? Pumpkin spice everything, leggings, tall boots and sweatshirts. It’s my favorite time of the year.  It’s the time of the year where we ship calves and get ready for next year. Horses start to grow in their Winter coats, and Nuisance goes from Grey to Black over night.

*Blueberry and Nuisance*

Mostly I love this time of year because two of my favorite people were born. Me and my kid.  True story.

I love the change in the weather from that hot breeze to that slight chill, but the sun still feels so good on your skin.  I also think it doesn’t stay long enough. I think Winter gets in such a hurry, it  doesn’t leave space for Fall.

How many times in my life am I in a hurry? A lot. I am always rushing onto the next thing before really enjoying the present. I drink my latte too fast, I grab for the doughnut I see first instead of looking at them all, and I tend to skip pages in a book to see what happens next. The need to know gets to me.

The rush of oncoming winter of my life always pushes me forward. I didn’t grasp what I needed or wanted out of life. I had a far away dream that I would simply write and drink coffee from fancy cups in an amazing location. Life unfolded and instead of having goals and direction; I had put on goggles and headed for the diamond slope before the last leaf on the tree had a chance to fall.

Learning to live on the East Coast ( eating delicious burgers at little pubs, smoking too many cigarettes, meeting so many friends and missing the last train out of the city), to moving to the West Coast ( no more black, no cigarettes, no trains, and lots trips to the ocean) ; all taught me that Summer has so much expectation that Fall doesn’t.

Fall is the middle sister. The one everyone forgets about but remembers fondly. She reminds us to slow down a bit and that every thing doesn’t need to be rushed; but savored.

So even if Winter is being a bit pushy remember that Fall still begs to be noticed. Tall boots and flannels, apple cider, pumpkin spice, and nights spent wrapped in blankets telling stories around a fire are here to remind us that change is a good thing.