After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I have embraced autumn and all it has to offer. This change of heart may have something to do with the return of snuggling in cozy blankets in front of wood burning fires. Since I currently live in a fireplace-less abode, the latter of my fall favorites requires some travel.
A couple of weekends ago, with the rain coming down and the wind howling, I made the two or so hour drive over the border to my cousin's home in Connecticut. It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision - well as spontaneous as I get these days with the juggling of jobs and studies – and I am so pleased with myself for making the trek.
With a chill in the air and the rain decidedly drizzly and damp, Colin and I made our way to the grand opening of a few new trails in a tucked away corner of conserved land. For a morning that begged to be spent indoors with copious amounts of coffee and lounging in flannel pajamas, there were a surprising number of people in attendance. A hodgepodge group of 25 or so were all there for the same purpose – to ensure that green spaces would be available for all to enjoy. We listened to short speeches about the importance of political engagement (to provide funding), preserving nature for future generations (as you do), and of course a few jokes to warm up the crowd with laughter. At the conclusion of local dignitary introductions and applause for the responsible parties, a ribbon was cut and we were off down the trail to see what good had been done. It may be a small park but it's a beauty and even boasts the ruins of a former sod operation. On a former loading dock is a new mural painted by local high school students and if you look closely, you can see mounds from where the sod was once harvested.
Still decidedly damp but noticeably less drizzly, the afternoon was spent traipsing through an apple orchard and pumpkin patch. Our group, now grown to four, scampered up and down the rows of trees with a little red wagon in tow. We searched high and low for the best fruit, pretending to know the exact flavor differences between a Macoun and a McIntosh. Pumpkins were carefully selected, including one from the patch (for authenticity) and one from the pile (for choosiness). As we made our way back up the hill, even the dried flower house did not disappoint. Each one of us convinced ourselves (and each other) that no fewer than three flower bunches were necessary for our respective homes.
The owner of this haven has spent his entire life on this plot of land minus four years of college. Before turning it into an orchard, it was an organic farm run by his father that provided produce, eggs, and beef. What had once been pastures and fields was now teeming with fruit and had remained an integral part of the town. During our short time there, families from the neighborhood stopped by just to pick up a few groceries or spend some time together running up and down the rows of trees with their own little red wagons in tow before heading home.
At the park and the orchard, I found myself wholeheartedly welcomed and invited to engage with people who a few moments earlier had been strangers. Eye contact was easily initiated, preferred names were mostly learned, and snippets of life stories were openly shared. Even though I am not a part of this community, I didn't feel like I didn't belong. Within 24 hours of leaving my urban home, I was questioning my day-to-day interactions (or lack there of) with the people who live in or visit my neighborhood. and so they got me thinking. How few times have I made sure that they feel welcomed, that they are not outsiders, that they belong? All too often, I spend my day with my head down, my mind running in a thousand different directions, and my feet scurrying to the next location as quickly as possible. Rarely do I take the time to make someone feel a little bit more at ease, a little bit more welcome in this nonstop city I call home. Perhaps it is time for that to change.
notes:
we went apple and pumpkin picking at wright's orchard in tolland, ct. the owners are some of the friendliest people i've met and they've got a great selection of apples, squash, and dried flowers. if you happen to be near hartford/manchester, be sure to swing on by and at the very least pick up some cider donuts. the orchard and farm stand is open until christmas.
i know. you have all of these late season apples and an assortment of adorable pumpkins that you just couldn’t resist and now you are home and don’t know what to do with it all. i recommend whipping those apples into some butter and mashing that pumpkin into the tastiest of loaves. for the latter, actually follow the recipe. if you are like me, this may be a very difficult task but trust me. i used regular milk (because it's what i had) and the end product was a bit oily. absolutely delicious but a bit of a hand to forehead moment. and no i am not vegan or even vegetarian but this lady and her food making ways transcend that. yes, another thing to just trust me on.
