What Makes Fall… Fall!

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Photo by Emma Washburn

Emma Washburn, Reporter

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of fall is cool, crisp, and enchanting. The way the wind blows through the autumn leaves, the nights where the temperature drops to 40, and you can see a slight frost on your window. When you walk through the yellow, red, or orange trees with the wind blowing behind you, an eerie silence follows. This is the epitome of fall.

 

Horizontal picture of beautiful trees full of yellow leaves by the pond at Nathaniel Greene Park. (Photo by Emma Washburn)
A red leaf that had fallen onto the ground from a tree at Nathaniel Greene Park. (Photo by Emma Washburn

The leaves are changing! Red, yellow, brown, and orange, the many colors of leaves. It changes a regular oak tree to something enchanting and beautiful. Taking walks in the park and down the streets of my neighborhood, I can’t help but notice the colorful foliage.

A close-up shot of fire burning some old wood. (Photo by Emma Washburn)
A campfire burning some old leftover wood and sticks. (Photo by Emma Washburn)

Obviously, the only way to get warm from adventuring out in the fall is sitting by a warm fire. I absolutely love sitting by a warm crackling fireplace well wrapped in a blanket when I’m freezing. It warms the whole house, engulfing every room with the smell of cedar.

Pumpkin cream cheese-filled muffins sitting in front of a stone fireplace. A glass full of apple cider is next to the delicious treats. (Photo by Emma Washburn)
A close-up view of the pumpkin muffins filled with cream cheese. (Photo by Emma Washburn)

Obviously, you cannot have cooler weather without warm, moist, and pumpkin-flavored desserts. From pumpkin muffins to pumpkin pie, and that delicious pumpkin bread that you simply cannot live without. Along with desserts, there are hundreds of fall drinks you can make. My all-time favorite is hot apple cider in a mug!  All must be included during fall festivities.

4 newly bought pumpkins decorated around the front of a porch. (Photo by Emma Washburn)

Pumpkins are the iconic objects people buy to decorate their homes and front porches. My all-time favorite pumpkin traditions are carving and painting them. But, whether you are a master pumpkin carver,  an expert artist, or just love plain pumpkins, it is a necessity to have at least one pumpkin on your front porch.

A pile of all types of leaves that had fallen to the ground. (Photo by Emma Washburn)
A close-up of a yellow-colored leaf hanging from a yellow tree. (Photo by Emma Washburn)

 

I always remember as a child playing in the leaves out in my backyard. I remember trudging through yellow, red, brown, and orange leaves because I loved the crunchy sound the leaves made when I walked through them. They would cover my whole backyard so that all you could see were leaves, no grass. A lot of people, especially kids, love to make leaf piles as well, trying to see how tall they can get their pile of leaves. Then they would jump right into the pile becoming swallowed up by the leaves!