harvest festival

I decided to take yesterday off work. After the week I’d had my inner-child was crying out to play, screaming at the top of its lungs actually. It was tired of being cooped up and would no more of it. What else could I do, but let it out. And, so I did.

Just in time too. Our county’s annual Harvest Festival & Craft Faire is this weekend, so I took the opportunity to beat the weekend crowds and went. And, I’m glad I did.

The celebration of the season, the wonderful local artisans showing their wares, and of course the great seasonal treats was just what I needed. Walking in the fresh autumn air brought me back to my senses. It does that you know – autumn – with the way the ground smells after an early rain, or the way the sun hits the garden in the late afternoon. Autumn seems to almost glow, announcing that life will be different now, at least for a while.

It treats us to the last remnants of long days before bringing us inside for the winter.

It challenges us to see the season, not as a passing, something to be mourned, but as a resting; resting of trees and plants that have put so much energy into growing so that we may be sustained; resting of animals that have spent the warmer months raising their young; and resting from long days spent outside working on the farm.

The days will be shorter now, but I won’t mind, because fall and winter is my time to explore a different side of the farm, one that isn’t all about being outside.

As I walked through the festival, the aroma of baked goods filled the air. I love the foods of autumn. Warm pumpkin spice bread fresh from the oven, slathered with homemade butter; apple pancakes dripping with pure maple syrup; hearty soups and stews that make the perfect meal on a cold night.

My strolling took me deep into the pumpkin fields. I was in a sea of orange globes – some were tall and stately, perfect for carving, others short and squatty, splotched with green. Along side the fields were rows of fancy sunflowers, lemon and orange, burgundy and brown. They looked so beautiful against the clear blue sky.

I didn’t buy anything today; nothing struck my fancy. But, I did come away with a fresh attitude and quieter inner child. Not bad at all, for a Friday.

Walking back to my truck I kept thinking, rest and rejuvenate – that’s the season we’re in now.

So, snuggle down by a warm fire, enjoy a steaming cup of coco and rest, just rest.