The Change of Seasons – Autumn

We have passed the calendar date for the beginning of autumn. But, today feels like the first real day of autumn in North Texas. We had a cool front come through (with strong storms) last night. Today, the weather outside is absolutely perfect. It’s not to hot. It’s not to cold. It’s not to humid or to dry. There is a light north breeze that makes comfortable to even work in the sun. To me, this weather is the first sign of autumn.

The second sign of autumn for me is the start of the State Fair of Texas. It has all of the great harvest festival aspects. You have music, food, competitions in animal husbandry, cooking and gardening. I remember years where, by the end of the Texas State Fair, there was ice in puddles of the parking lot for the fair.

The third sign is the beginning of deer hunting season. Tomorrow is the first day archery deer hunting in Texas. In Texas based blogs, I have been seeing photos of bucks with antlers starting to spar.  They, know that autumn has begun.

I find myself longing to be in a tree stand, either with a bow or a camera.  I want to hop on my mountain bike, or even be on foot, and go down trails with crispy colorful leaves and enjoy the celebration that is nature in autumn. I want to spend time on my backyard archery range becoming one with my bow, arrow, and target. I want to go to an outdoor rifle range to practice the zen of getting that perfect shot at the longest range I can. I want to harvest fruit, vegetables, and even meat. The reason that this is hunting season is to thin the animals so they have an easier time making it through the winter. It is also the reason it is the time you would see animals butchered on farms.