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A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Maine to visit a friend.
We woke up one morning and decided to take a walk to a little café in her sweet town, get some breakfast and coffee, and shop around.
Despite it – at the time – being the end of July, the air was crisp, and there were a few fallen leaves on the ground.
I breathed in the clean, calm salt air, listened to the light crunch of a few leaves under my feet, tightened the tie of my sweater that rested on my shoulders and closed my eyes beneath my sunglasses as we moved to sit on a park bench.
“It feels like fall,” she remarked.
“I know – like September,” I said.
I always feel a burst of energy when spring becomes summer, temperatures warm and the sun beams through green leaved trees.
But the sense of renewal that I feel when fall comes cannot compare.
I have a favorite tree in Hampden near Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary that I pass on my commute to one of our offices. I did not realize I had a “favorite tree,” until this year, when I passed it just the other day and thought to myself, “here it comes…” as it is the first tree I see each year relinquishing its deep green hues for burnt oranges and bright yellows.
In fact, I always look forward to this drive in autumn. Traveling along North Monson Road, Glendale Road and onto Main Street in Hampden is a tiny slice of heaven – admiring the richly colored trees, passing Ferrindino Maple’s beautifully manicured grounds. Until the past few years, a home on North Monson Road would always line their lengthy stonewalls that run next to the road with pumpkins. The house recently sold, and the new owners likely do not know what a tradition this was for passersby, but I always appreciated the sight of the orange gourds.
It is easy to get sentimental for a season that has so many wonderful memories tied to it. Fall ushers in the holiday season – and if readers have not figured out my love for the holidays by now, well, I don’t know what to say.
Autumn also brings back baking season. Of course, I can – and do – bake in the summer, but something about heating up the oven on the sweltering days we experience is just not appealing. This months Go Local recipe features a fall staple: gooey cinnamon buns. Fall is the time, after all, to indulge.
But – if you are looking for a healthier option, take a peek at one of this months featured articles on TRIBE POWER BITES and test out their white cinn – also known as white cinnamon roll – bites. Single mother Kim Prada started her business by simply wanting a healthy snack for herself as she runs around. She soon found others want the same – and began to make her bites for the masses.
If you are not a baker but can appreciate a good homemade treat or gift – Made By LLC, a family run business in Suffield, Connecticut, has just the stuff. Awardwinning jams and jellies, handcrafted pens, custom gift baskets and more are just at your fingertips.
Readers who enjoy a cool fall day on an eclectic adventure may want to pop by two shops – Let’s Get Wired LLC in Stafford Springs, Connecticut and Oldies from the Estate in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. Both shops may overwhelm with the copious treasures they include, but for those who love a good hunt, ‘Oldies offers nearly everything one could need for a home – or everything one did not realize they needed until they found it. For those who appreciate all things celestial – Let’s Get Wired LLC offers crystals, handmade wire wrapped jewelry and other services, such as Reiki and crystal healing services.
That serene day in Maine reminded me of life’s simple pleasures: a delicious specialty coffee, laughs with friends and perusing unique storefronts – all leading up to a classic New England autumn.
Thanks for reading,
-Payton North, Executive Editor
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