Growing up there was always a distinct moment when I knew autumn had arrived. I'm not sure if it was the light, the temperature or the sight of that first golden tinged leaf on a tree, but as soon as I noticed it everything changed. Summer always had a sort of length to it, not just in the hours of the day, but in the slower speed of the activities and in the way my mind would wander, moving at the pace of the shadows cast by the drifting sun. But from the moment fall hit, the energy was instantaneously different. The cooler air stirred faster movement from place to place and the hours spent indoors at school heightened the intensity of the time spent outside. Suddenly each moment in the sun was a cherished one, as it stayed around just a bit less each day. Places I'd taken for granted during the preceding months were now special destinations. The space in autumn is closer somehow than the other seasons, especially as the leaves begin to fall. Walking in the park, I'd take unnecessary detours just so that I could wander through the patches of trees, so I could enter those golden caves. I'd shuffle my feet along the ground to hear that familiar crunch and crackle and everything else in the world would disappear... like the only thing that existed in the entire universe was that small bubble of golden trees and their shooting stars shaped like leaves. Growing up, autumn transformed my everyday world into the space of dreams. The season was magic.
~ Excerpt from IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play.
If you couldn't already tell by the passage above, autumn is my favorite time of year. From the colors, to the smells, to the feel of a crisp breeze on my face in the morning. . . I love it all. But this year, for the first time in my life, I'm spending the season much farther south. Where I am, the average temperature lately has been 85 not 55. There is no drama or fanfare by way of changing trees, there's no smell of damp leaves. And so, without the usual telltale signs, I find myself having to pay even closer attention to the subtle shifts and changes. I find myself searching for fall like a detective following clues.
Whether you live in a place with four distinct seasons, or in a location where things stay relatively the same from day to day, week to week, and month to month, there are always slight changes happening right in front of you. There is magic hiding both in the drama and subtlety of nature. Take a moment and see what you can find today.
Suggestions for exploring fall:
GIVEAWAY!:
If you'd like to explore the pages of IMAGINE CHILDHOOD further, today is your lucky day! Roost is giving away THREE copies right here!
Thank you so much Katie for hosting me on your lovely blog!
~ Sarah Olmsted
It is our pleasure to have Sarah here on ABC & 123 today. Her book IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play is a beautiful and inspiring piece for every classroom resource collection and parent's tool kit. We are thankful for the generous offer of sharing 3 copies with our readers. Please submit your entry for this giveaway x3 in the Rafflecopter below.
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