Tut tut it looks like rain...

And that's because it is raining! With the official first day of fall being in just three days, I would say that it is perfect timing. There are those that are saddened by the end of summer (you know who you are :), but as I get older I am learning how to appreciate that every season is important and plays a part in the big picture. There are special things that come with the cold weather that you only really get to enjoy at that time of year. The best one of all is of course the smell of rain. This morning for instance, I have my windows open because the first rain of fall is perhaps the best smell I could think of early on a Sunday morning. I dusted off my teapot (that's right it had dust on it, sad I know) and am enjoying my favorite cool weather drink: Tea.
Yes you can still enjoy tea, soup, crocheting, reading books, crafting and other such nonsense all year long, but really: do you? Not so much. Their is a silence that grows on things on rainy mornings, it's a peace that has a special time of year. Not the same as any other. I like to think of it as a cleansing period, mother natures way of refreshing everything and removing the dust and grime of summer. Similar in fact to my car, which has been accumulating an impressive collection of dirt for several weeks now. Now this morning, it has also been taken care of by the rain and is looking much better, although not necessarily clean.

Now as a gardener as well, fall is one of the most important seasons of the year. It's the time when most plants get tucked into their bed's for the upcoming Winter. It's the signal to them that they put in a lot of hard work, and it's almost time to rest. Now annuals are another story because they are what I like to call Kamikaze plants. They live fast and furiously, expending every ounce of energy to put on a grand show...but we all know how that ends up. Lets just say that they won't be coming back next year, but if we are lucky they will leave behind some little babies only to surprise us come Spring. We would never be able to have beautiful gardens in the Spring and Summer if we didn't allow everything to just relax for awhile and rejuvenate. That's it! Spring: the season of awakening. Summer: the season of excitement. Fall: the season of rejuvenation. And Winter: the season of rest. Now THAT was pretty philosophical don't you think? Moving on...

Without fall you would never have Thanksgiving, which would just be a crime. It's the one time when our family has a reason to justify our incredible food intake. And worst of all, without fall we would never have Winter, which always has a special place in my heart as well. No I don't like being cold, I just like the feeling that it brings. The spirit of the season. Maybe I'm crazy, but you can just feel it, something is different. So moral of the story, I am obviously feeling very inspired today. Not really inspired to be cleaning my house right now, but definitely inspired enough to post on my blog which is impressive. And since none of my pictures seemed to turn out quite right this morning, I will leave you with a picture that has nothing to do with anything in particular. This was my Calla Lily before it bit the dust of summer.