Fall In

Fall has come to Hartness Street, and I, for one, am loving it!

In fact, I am sitting on my back patio enjoying a perfect fall afternoon this very minute.

It seems that all too often in Mississippi we bypass fall to get straight from summer to winter, so everyone is really trying to soak up every minute of this gorgeous season while it lasts. All over campus people are sprawled out on the grass, napping, studying or talking with friends; walkers and bikers pass each other on the sidewalks at all hours of the day; people linger at outdoor restaurants and bars, enjoying the breeze; some classes are even being held outside.

In addition, fall mums and sunflowers are appearing by front doors; pumpkins of all shapes and sizes can be seen everywhere you look; scarecrows keep watch over gardens and ghouls; Halloween decor fills the shelves of stores; everyone's talking about costume ideas.

It seems impossible to be in a bad mood when everything around me looks so cheerful and welcoming.

I spend many of my free afternoons sitting outside at the bookstore or the bakery on campus as well as the bagel cafe just up the road from my apartment. Although I am under the guise of studying or reading for pleasure, I often find myself just looking around at the changing scenery around me, and I watch other people enjoying the beauty of the afternoon, as well. (Don't take that to mean anything creepy; you know people-watching is one of my favorite pasttimes...)

I've even brought the season into my own apartment with a few flowers and pumpkins of my own. It seems that somewhere deep inside of me there's a homemaker just dying to come out; she manages to stake her claim a little at a time. I think of her when I return home to my apartment at the end of the day and can still smell the lingering remnants of the harvest scented candle she loves to burn...

I should probably bring this to a close, for Katie is, at this very moment, en route to visit for the weekend. It's time again to take part in another of my favorite fall institutions: football. (Okay, so I may not love the actual football so much, but I do thoroughly enjoy the tailgating...) If tomorrow's weather is anything like today's, it will be an absolutely perfect day.

p.s. special thanks to my friend Laura for the use of a few of her gorgeous fall pics. i'm insanely jealous of her recent trip to the mountains and rather impressed with her photography skills, too.