It’s easy to wax eloquent on the marvels of summer or to proclaim that I wish [insert season here] never had to end.
But in reality, time marches on. After only a week away, I returned from Italy to a thoroughly autumnal Elgin (several blog posts are coming soon). The day I left, it was over 80 degrees, sunny, and definitely summer. Exactly one week later, nearly to the hour, it felt like fall as I stepped off the plane into 50 degree weather, with a certain bite in the air. The next day, while driving around, I saw leaves on the ground and others beginning to succumb to fall colors. The nights have grown colder, and I’ve re-embraced my jeans and cords and pulled my scarves from the back of the closet. It feels good to curl up under a down throw on the couch and to pull the comforter up at night. The heat came on yesterday morning for the first time.
And then I saw exactly the right words to describe this, on my friend Emily’s Facebook timeline:
“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influences of each.” — Henry David Thoreau
Precisely. I’m starting to cook my fall favorites again and have noticed the light changing from full and strong to softer and more fleetingly precious. I spent a big part of Saturday outside, walking through Tekakwitha Woods and Jon Duerr Forest Preserve in St. Charles, noticing the leaves and the crisp air, the bright blue skies and the herons and egrets, gracefully soaking up the last rays before a trip south.
Rather than fighting the change, I’m embracing fall and all that comes with it, just as I’ll (likely more reluctantly) embrace winter when it arrives all too soon.
What’s your favorite part of fall? Any must-do Elgin-area autumn activities? I plan to soak up as much outdoor time as possible.
Adventures of the Former Elginista 
Crysta,
Years ago, every October on a sunny Sunday afternoon when the sun is highlighting the sparkling majesty of a rainbow of fall colors and the temperature has a nip in the air we would take our young children Jennifer and Jason to Goebberts Pumpkin Farm in Hoffman Estates on Route 72. Nature usually cooperated with this perfect fall day being on the same Sunday that the Bears had a bye week and were not playing.
Our pumpkin carving children would first get behind all the wood character cut outs so Mom could take their picture and Dad could do the video camcorder. Next was a pony or camel ride followed by a sticky caramel apple washed down by hot apple cider. Finally, the kids would pick out their pumpkins and gourds and we would drive home and start carving our Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween. Those were fun days we will never forget.
Our daughter Jennifer, and Mike, our son-in-law, gave us our first grandbaby on Dec. 30th. In a few years we will be able to do it all over again as the circle of life goes round and round.
Common Sense Clarence Hayward
“A conservative voice in the Elgin community.”
For those readers with young children who have always wondered what the bison feeding experience is that you can participate in at Lord’s Park Zoo, if you go to bocajump.com they have a bison feeding video.
I always wondered what it would be like but I work Saturdays so I could never go. If I had children of the right age for this I would definitely take them to do this.
I am thinking the next feeding at the end of October if the weather is Indian Summer weather with the leaves in their full glory would be the best month of the year to do this.
I believe you need to sign up so you might want to sign up early if you agree with me that end of October might be the best time.
It looks like it would be a very fun family event.
Common Sense Clarence Hayward
“A conservative voice in the Elgin community.”
I almost forgot. You can get a preview of this fun, family type experience if you go to bocajump.com and view their bison feeding video they very recently put on their site.
Common Sense Clarence Hayward
“A conservative voice in the Elgin community.”
Great ideas, Clarence, and thanks for commenting! I went to Goebbert’s several times as a child and remember it fondly. I’ve also heard the bison feeding is great, and I do think you have to pre-register.