Autumn (Fall) Delights: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy

"Fall"   is the topic for Week 47 in Amy Coffin’s and Geneablogger’s 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History series.


In Scotland autumn (fall) comes early, when the early morning air in late August smells different, there is a different light in the sky and mist hangs over our valley.

Autumn is my favourite season and I love the colours of, brown, bronze, burgundy, green and gold.  Is this anything to do with the fact I was a "September" baby - as were my grandmother, mother, aunt, two uncles and husband?   As once a brunette, these colours were staples in my wardrobe, and also feature  in our home decor.  

I recall as a child:

*   Scuffing my shoes through the leaves, and enjoying the crunchy sound - this still appeals to me!

*   Collecting different coloured leaves to take home and make a picture.

*   Gathering blackberries in the hedgerows and bilberries among the heather - and turning  our  lips purple as we sampled the fruit.
*  Watching my mother turn the glut of apples, pears and plums into tarts, sponges, crumbles, jellies and jams  



My little granddaughter enjoying
a walk  in the woods last week

Autumn also meant for me new beginnings – of a new school year, armed with a new pencil case or satchel, new shoes or uniform.  Later on it meant the sense of anticipation of a new university year, riding on the top of the bus on a crisp morning,  seeing Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile skyline rising above the trees changing colour in Princes Street Gardens.  

Now living in the Scottish Borders, the autumn gold colours are magnificent - we just don't always get the blue skies to show them off!

I once read of someone who hated autumn because “everything was dying”.  I thought what a pity that they could not see the beauty in this time which to me is truly  epitomised by Keats’ classic poem  - I know it can be regarded as cliche, but it is so apt:

A season of mist and mellow fruitfulness