Unmistakable Autumn

It's that time of year again.

Unmistakable.

It's that time when the temperatures at night are perfect for sleeping. A time when your alarm goes off in the morning, there is not even a hint, not a glimmer, of sunrise.

It's that time when nothing tastes so delicious as a cup of apple cider and a hot donut.

It's that time when you go into a store to be surrounded by fake blood, fangs, and fairy wings. A time when the metal shelves are crammed floor to ceiling with bags of every imaginable candy.

It's that time when it's not uncommon to drive by bright orange fields of pumpkins and to catch a whiff of faint damp leaf smoke.

It's that time when you dig through your closet and pull out your soft, warm sweaters - familiar and comforting as old friends.

Now is the time when the warmth of summer has gradually, imperceptibly faded - though it seems rudely abrupt.

Now is the time for nostalgic reflection. A time when reveries, regrets and ruminations creep into your thoughts; some putting a wistful smile on your face, some evoking a twinge of longing, some prodding that tender part in your chest.

It's that time when the physical distance of those close to you feels even farther - an impossible chasm of time and space.

It's that time of year when the past mingles freely with the present, revealing emotions and memories in that deceptively golden dappled light that filters through the brilliantly colored leaves. A time to be soft, but vigilant.

Yep. It's that time of year again.

Unmistakable