When the Leaves Come Falling Down

I saw you standing with the wind and the rain in your face,
And you were thinking 'bout the wisdom of the leaves and their grace.
When the leaves come falling down,
In September when the leaves, come falling down.

It’s fall. It’s my favorite time of the year. I like the excitement of the first weeks of school. I like the Friday night football games. I like the temperature change where there’s just enough chill to need a sweater. I like the color changes, and the leaves falling from the trees. I like the smell of autumn, lingering fires, the smoke trails trickling up the chimneys, apples and pumpkins and the spicy scents they bring. I like the sunsets and the shorter days. I like the full moon on a clear night. I like fall.

Cornucopia

Countryside

When I was young I watched the Newhart show. You know, the one where Bob is Dick Louden. He and his wife Joanna live in a town in Vermont and run an inn called the Stratford Inn. I decided then I wanted to go to Vermont in the fall and see the leaves changing color. I’d been told it was magnificent, like nothing I could imagine. I got the chance a couple of years ago. It was supposed to be a surprise (for me), but with my work schedule surprises are hard to carry off. It was great, nevertheless.

I could live here

We flew out early in the morning and rented a car when we landed in Hartford, CT. It was late and we were tired so we found a place to stay and got something to eat and called it a day. Next morning we drove to Stowe, Vermont, and the show began.

On the road

Stowe is small town, rich in history. The village (as they call it) is about 250 years old. Nestled close to Mt. Mansfield, the highest mountain peak in the state, Stowe provides some of the finest skiing in the state. Stowe is where the Trapp Family Lodge is located. The Trapp Family was the inspiration for the movie, "The Sound of Music."

Reflections

Planning a trip to see the fall foliage is tricky. If you go too early you’ll get green trees. If you go too late you get bare trees. If there is a freeze, they say leaves drop, overnight. We were lucky. It was just about right for the color change. It was a little foggy some mornings but otherwise very nice. Some afternoons it was even hot. If you look at trip planners for foliage trips they recommend the first two weeks of October. But it still can vary, depending on the weather.

A mix of colors

Foggy mountainside.

We saw many great things while there, some local sites, some farms with pumpkins and maple syrup, covered bridges, barns, the Yankee Candle Factory, and yarn shops. As we drove from place to place the yarn shop radar was always on! I looked for things that would remind me of the great colors when I was gone. And I was lucky enough to find a few!

Autumn yarn memories

Modern covered bridge?

Middle Bridge

Taftsville Bridge

It’s almost October. I look at the pictures of the wonderful colors and remember the good time we had. Then I look outside and imagine how the leaves out here are going to look. It doesn’t take much. There aren’t any trees.

Carpet of leaves

Leaf in the water

Time to rake?

I’m not bored with the knitayear. My time doesn’t seem to come as freely as it did when I first started. But I won’t quit. I’m almost through the second strip. Day 167, September 14,started off ok. It wasn’t til later it got bad. It was just some of my ‘friends’ helping me out. No need to go into it but I was, in a word, pissed. I was seeing red. I picked red and black eyelash yarn to commemorate the occasion. September 15, day 168, brought more meetings. Of course, as usual, the meeting was over hours before my flight. They tell us how long it’s going to last then we plan transportation. It never fails, the meeting ends but the flight can’t be changed. It makes me tired. I picked old blue cotton. I say old because I’ve had it for years and never did anything with it. It’s just there. That’s how I felt. September 16, back to work, and it’s busier than ever. It’s day 169 and I’m on the edge of overwhelmed! I picked rust fun fur for this day. It’s kind of wild and goes every way. Like my day was going. Day 170, September 17, was a day off and well deserved, in my mind at least! It was busy, being with the little guys and I seemed to do a lot of waiting but was patient. I found lavender cotton I had used for a dishcloth. The color was peaceful and calming to me, not so much like the day, but how I felt. September 18 was day 171 and we were on the way to a wedding. It was an unusual wedding to say the least, but it was nice, and it was what the couple wanted, and that’s what is important. I enjoyed people watching and was amused by the sights and sounds. I chose a multi color wool, bright colors spun together to make one yarn. It reminded me of the wedding and how all the different people were there but for the same reason. Day 172, September 19, was a bad day, but not for me exactly. Poor Alan. Dead battery, sheriff, lost phone, soaked by rain, and that was just part of it. I was sympathetic but there wasn’t much I could do. I found a rust suede yarn that seemed like the right yarn for the day. Day 173 brought work again. Funny how that keeps coming around! It was Sept 20, and I was diligent, getting it all done, or giving it a good shot anyway. I use blue, brown and white fuzzy yarn. The way the colors blend it reminded me of a day, the sky, the clouds and the earth all blended together, and how it happens every day, just keeping on. I’ll always remember the leaves in Vermont and how amazing the colors were. And I hope I’m able to see it again. See the leaves. Even if it’s only in my dreams.

Knitayear strip 2 so far

And at night the moon is shining on a clear, cloudless sky.
And when the evening shadows fall I'll be there by your side.
When the leaves come falling down.
In September when the leaves, come falling down.