A collection of the first glimpses of fall from an early September walk in the woods.

We’re at the very beginning of leaves turning their fall colors here. I’m always taken a little bit by surprise how quickly fall arrives once the leaves start to turn – cold mornings with warm afternoons, colorful landscape, crunchy leaves, sweaters, cider, etc.

But before fall officially makes itself known, there are hints and glimpses of the season changing that are easy to miss. Here’s a collection from a few weeks ago, when we were in that time between the end of summer and beginning of fall.

The first glimpses of fall from an early September walk in the woods:

🥾 First walk in boots! Keeping your feet warm and dry is A+. (Even if your feet don’t cramp when they’re cold, like mine do.)

🧥 Wondering “maybe I should have brought a jacket?” but being fine without it. The classic between seasons conundrum.

⛈️ The cool damp smell after the rain. Smells regenerative.

🍎 Hot apple spice tea. Not quite cider weather yet, but getting there.

🕷️ “Do you want this?” Halloween decor texts. Of course I want the spider tea light holders! (Halloween season is also when I got the tray I use to contain my dishes.)

🌬️ Crisp breezes replacing humid ones. And springy forest floors replacing dry ones.

🍂 First hint of a crispy leaf. A single crunch here and there, hinting at the piles of leaves to come.

📙 Cozy (very) early mornings in the dark. And trying to remember where you put your book light.

🌚 Eclipse season.

🍄 Mushroom logs.

🌿 Browning fern forests.

❤️ Red ground berries.

💧 Ending a walk with a half full water bottle instead of an empty one.

🌳 Acorns falling on your head and pinecone sap sticking to your boots.

😅 A sheen of sweat replacing buckets. (Fortunately I didn’t take that jacket.)

It’s collections of glimpses like these that remind me not to rush from one season to the next. They let me savor the moment watching the world turn.

Photo by Mihály Köles on Unsplash