Dakota Beacon

Finally, autumn has arrived. Well, almost. On September 22 it will officially, deliciously be autumn. Three cheers for the season! My time of year is here!

I have an ongoing love affair with autumn. How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways. (Least of all reasons – the mosquitos are dead!)

After a few months of summer survival mode, I prefer the cooler season to summer’s heat. I especially love the outdoors on slightly warm, sunny mornings listening to the transition from late summer to early autumn. Insects chirping their fond farewell, goose traffic honking overhead, dry grass and falling leaves rustling -- each contributing in their own way to Nature’s symphony. Vivaldi could not improve on autumn’s masterpiece.

Autumn offers a gastronomic delight as well. Fresh garden produce has been available all summer, but autumn offers the crowning glory of the growing season. Our land of plenty produces an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Something incredibly special touches the heart (and the stomach) when serving up home grown produce fresh from branch and vine. Apples, berries, and wild fruit have all ripened with the season.

Do not forget zucchini! Zucchini everywhere you look. Unnamed parties leave bags of the stuff in church foyers hoping to bless a needy person. A rule of gardening -- never give zucchini plants in the Spring to a novice gardener. This becomes a risky business. Zucchini grows so doggone profusely, and the rookie does not know how to manage the overflow!

Just before the first freezing temperatures arrive, all tomatoes are picked. The green ones make great preserves as well as green tomato pie.

Autumn time is football time. Unlike 2020, there is no pandemic to disrupt the high school, college, and professional football schedules. Take your pick. I have never played football, but I did become a fan of the Washington Redskins when I lived in Northern Virginia. Now, I just appreciate watching teams compete without embracing a favorite. Admiration of athletic excellence generates interest when observing the physical prowess of players and their coordinated plays. What a pleasure to watch the best of the best, the crème de la crème, competing in the arena.

That was then. This is now. In the last few years, I have backed away from TV football and other broadcast sports. When disrespecting the US Flag, the National Anthem, and America itself became part of the venue, that was enough. If I wanted to watch “social justice” commercials and Black Lives Matter accolades, I would tune in to CNN. I watch sports for entertainment and relaxation – not to sit as a propaganda target. Admittedly, the Leagues have tempered the protests. But I remain jaded.

Autumn is the time when the Boys of Summer scramble to see who is best. First come the baseball playoffs followed by the World Series when the top team wins for another year. As with football, I was never much of a baseball player. Observer, yes – player, no. And, as with football, I do not necessarily support a favorite team. I just enjoy watching the best team win.

Autumn becomes a time of expectation and anticipation. It signifies a surge of holidays. First, Labor Day followed by Columbus Day commemorating that most famous Italian in American history.

Then Halloween arrives. That wannabe national holiday commemorates who-knows-what. Trick-or-Treat with its October surprises offer an appropriate preface to Election Day.

Veterans Day salutes our veterans as time solemnly marches on toward Thanksgiving Day. Ol’ Turkey Day has transformed into something between a religious event, a family reunion, and a progressive social cause.

Any way you slice it, it is time to celebrate. Excitement mounts as the days point toward the hustle and bustle of Christmas and the beginning of a New Year.

Weeks ago, the late summer days melded into cooler nights. Labor Day really did signal the prelude to autumn and the coming change of seasons. Kids returned to school whatever their classroom may be. The humming and the buzzing of unseen critters in brown fields on warm days announce a change in the season’s ambience.

I have this ongoing love affair with autumn filled with special memories of good times and hope for the future. Finally. A magnificent autumn is here in all its glory.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).