I love celebrating the fall season and All Hallows Eve. It’s that time of year when your senses are in tune with the season; sound, taste, and smell. I grew up experiencing the best autumn and Halloween nights in the small town of Canfield, Ohio. When I feel those stimuli today, as an adult, the memories come flooding back like it was yesterday.

When I was in grade school and our teacher opened the classroom windows to let in some of that fresh, crisp fall air, I recall the sound of the leaves gently scattering across the playground. It made me feel relaxed and content. When we got home and were playing in the backyard, we would hear the black crows’ caw loud and clear as if they were talking to one another. At the same time, lots of acorns would plop on the ground, sometimes sounding like heavy raindrops, as they fell from the tall oaks. If the temperature wasn’t too cool as mom whisked us off to bed, she would keep our bedroom windows open and the nighttime sounds of the insects and tree branches blowing in the soft breeze would lull me to sleep immediately. Those sounds of fall are permanently etched in my brain.

Fresh apples from the local farm were a staple in our house during the months of September and October. When mom made apple pie and stirred up the filling, she always let us taste it before she scooped it into her homemade, flaky crust. The apples were always crisp, tart, and were covered with brown sugar and cinnamon. In my opinion, sampling the filling was my favorite part of the pie. That combination of flavors melded together was the best. If fall had a flavor, that was it! 

When people say, “fall is in the air”, that phrase is literal to me. Because we had lots of trees surrounding my childhood home, the moment you walked outside I could smell the crumbling leaves as the trees pushed them off their branches. Sometimes on the weekends, the toasty aroma of a neighbor burning leaves, or having a bonfire roasting marshmallows would permeate the neighborhood. Heaven. Lastly, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that the smell of fresh-cut pumpkin reminds me so much of my dad. When we were little he helped us transform our pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. Years later when we helped our kids carve theirs, the smell as the top is lifted off the cut pumpkin still reminds me of him.

As you navigate through autumn, be conscious of your senses. I’m hoping sound, taste, and smell will take you back to some happy and simple times as we soak up all the goodness this season has to offer.