First Day of Fall

Autumn or Fall is regarded as the third season of the year, from the descending or autumnal equinox to the winter solstice, approximately September 21 to December 21. Chaucer first used the autumn c. 1374, which is derived from Latin autumnus/auctumnus. The use of fall to mean autumn in North American English come from the phrase "fall of the leaf" and it came into use by 1545 for this time of year when the leaves fall from the trees. The term autumn is still preferred in British English.

This beautiful tiffany lamp shade is from my "secret place" that no one has guessed yet. It certainly reminds me of fall leaves. It has to be lit for its full impact. Much like me.

I love this season and time of year. It is usually a "feeling" you can sense in the air. There is a change in the ambient light too. The temperatures start to cool off and there is a crispness in the air. We usually make a trip up to Oak Glen and get apples and apple juice...none better. This time we ate at Law's, the oldest restaurant up there. I think the sign says "from 1953" We used to bring the boys up there for lunch and the other stores and tourist treats. Great apple pie a la mode with warm cinnamon sauce. Mmmmm! I can remember sitting there when it was starting to snow, giant flakes on the sycamore branches just outside the windows that overlook the street. We went down the old western route and it has completely changed ie. thousands of homes and a golf course where the chicken ranches used to be.

Los Rios Ranch has been sold/bought by one of the dominant families up there. It is just not the same. I hear there is a feud between two family branches over recreational usage of the area. One part has been staging reinactments of the Civil War with the crowds and noise it brings. The other branch is suing for disturbance of the peace and inappropriate land usage around the apple orchards. Cider Barrell gourmet restaurant didn't make it either. Big forsale signs. Too bad.

The U-Pick Raspberry area has been left to "seed"? We used to go up annually and pick all we could pick and eat and then bring them back to freeze for raspberries year-'round. Haven't done that recently. One of the last times, we were picking with an elderly couple nearby(strangers to us). She suddenly had a heart attack or stroke and we laid her down between the raspberry bush rows and ran to call 911. They finally got there. The husband didn't seem too concerned. He kept picking berries. It sort of spoiled our day.

There are church retreat camps up there too. I spent a full day at Camp YOLIGWA (don't ask me to remember what this acronym means-something religious) practicing for an up-coming Barbershop Contest Concert. How intense and fun it all was. We thought it was so "important" at the time.

Yes, Fall has fond memories...getting back to school, new kids, lesson plans, auditions for Xmas plays and programs etc. Fiddler on the Roof debuted on Broadway on this day in 1964. I'm helping with a musical that is over 40 years old...how's that for "staying power". A theme of hope and new life not unlike Fall's theme. Bob