Beech Tree News Network

William Cullen Bryant referred to autumn as “the year's last, loveliest smile." Recently, a TV meteorologist said that we’re seeing summer’s last stand. Our weather has been very nice even though autumn has arrived.

Autumn or fall, many people’s favorite season, is the transition from summer into winter. Some interesting facts associated with the season include the following (http://facts.randomhistory.com/fall/autumn-facts.html; http://www.22facts.com/autumn/):
•    The term “equinox” is from the Latin meaning “equal night.”
•    The British call this season autumn while Americans call it fall.
•    Autumn begins when the center of the sun crosses Earth’s equator.
•    According to U.S. tradition, autumn unofficially runs from the day after Labor Day through Thanksgiving.
•    September, October and November are the first planting months.
•    Fall colors are best when late summer is dry and autumn has bright sunny days and cool nights below 40 °F.
•    The leave colors red, yellow and brown are in the leaves all year long but are exposed when the Green Chlorophyll disappears in the fall.
•    Researchers found that during the cooler months of autumn, men are more likely to cozy up with their sweethearts and watch romantic comedies.
•    Research suggests that low levels of vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin – can lead to weight gain during autumn and winter (Lack of vitamin D reduces fat breakdown and triggers fat storage.).
•    Autumn depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects more women than men.
•    Athletic children are more likely to be born in autumn and winter months, according to a large Bristol University study. Those born in the spring were the most sluggish.
•    Autumn babies, those born between September and November, are more likely to live to 100 than those who were born in other times of the year.
•    According to superstition, catching leaves in autumn brings good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year.

We tend to associate each season with different memories and activities. I associate the following things with fall:
•    Fall-colored decorations
The mums, pumpkins, gourds and other seasonal displays are beautiful.
•    Harvest
Farmers are busy – as always. Gardens have nearly stopped bearing. Apples are abundant, and it’s a great time to visit Jackson’s Orchard in Bowling Green or Reid’s Orchard in Owensboro. 
•    Yard work
I like to have the lawn mowed and the leaves chopped up, the dead stems pulled from the flowering plants, next spring’s bulbs planted, and the strawberry plants all covered around (These things are on my to-do list.).
•    Winterizing the home
Some areas to check for needed maintenance or repair before winter include gutters and roof, heating systems and fireplaces, exterior doors and windows, foundations, plumbing, as well as smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries (This is also on my list of things to do….). Some people recommend having an emergency kit on hand for possible power outages, too.
•    Comfort foods
Fall is a time for comfort foods such as soups and chili, rotel and caramel dips, and great desserts, like homemade candy or pumpkin pie (But, set limits: in the fall, people develop a desire for fattier foods which may lead to seasonal weight gain.). 

In Acts 1:7, Jesus said that the Father has set times and dates. Author Lee Maynard described autumn as “the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” Warm weather has not left us, and we may yet have an Indian summer. Pushing winter to the back of my mind, I hope to enjoy autumn.