Thursday, October 8, 2009

Hello, Autumn

It is allowed to be autumn now.

Certain events or sensory experiences just signal "fall" to me. For example...
  • Seeing the yellow-orange powder of crushed acorns on the sidewalk.
  • Hearing the shushing noise of leaves underfoot.
  • Seeing the tips of the maple trees begin to "catch fire".
  • Feeling the chilly air on my face in the morning.
  • Listening to the Anne of Avonlea soundtrack.
  • Going to the fair.
Last night, I went to the local fair, and now it is allowed to be autumn.

Going to the fair involves so many sensory experiences rolled into a pastry shell of memories.

The petting zoo, which now smells like pine shavings and dust and animal hair and other animal products, and which reminds me of the goat who knocked me down trying to eat the buttons on my green sweatshirt when I was little.

The education building, which now has beautiful cakes and cakes that are oozing and sagging pink frosting over the edges of the plate, and which reminds me of the 19 craft projects I entered one year when I was trying to outdo my sister in blue ribbons.

The midway, which now bangs and thuds and pulses with competing music from every game, barkers heckling the crowds and people talking and calling to their friends, and which reminds me of the first time I rode a roller coaster, the pink-and-yellow one that gave me whiplash and scared me away from roller coasters for almost 10 years.

The concessions area, which now smells of deep fried everything from apple fritters to sweet potato fries, funnel cakes, snickers bars and oreos; cotton candy and bits of sugar and grease coating everything like a bizarre mix of snow and an oil spill, and which reminds me of my childhood love for cotton candy even though I inevitably felt ill afterward.

Not to mention the fireworks...the sunset...the people...the ferris wheel...looking down over the city lights and seeing the scrawled autographs people have left on the very top...and so much more.

I love fall.

*EDIT: I should add to the list, almost being late for class by getting caught up in fond recollections of the fair... haha

No comments:

Post a Comment