Yesterday, the calendar flipped from September to October, and I could not have imagined a more perfect fall day. The night before, the temperature dipped to a little below 50°F, and during the day it rose to 65°F with nary a hint of humidity.
A perfect day for a bike ride by Maranacook Lake. The cloudless azure sky was a sight to behold, and the water—I know. I see it everywhere—was Maya blue. Best of all, there were no snakes on the road, very common in Maine in the fall. I suppose the warmth attracts them.
Oh, for three or four more months of these perfect days. For the farmers and the nursery garden owners, rain at night, between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. until there is enough water to satisfy those who grow things. Then warm, sunny days for those of us who like to bike, walk, and sit on the patio. I realize that’s asking for a lot, but if I were in charge, that’s how the weather would be.
Right now, the leaves have just a hit of color, and there is still a lot of green.
Apples have begun to ripen, and I bought a small bag of Cortlands, crisp and tart, at the grocery store. My plan is to go to Lakeside Orchard and by a big bag of the beauties. That way, when I invite friends over for coffee and tea, I can serve warm, fragrant baked apples with just a touch of vanilla ice cream on top.
I’m always sorry to see the end of summer—the profusion of flowers, the nights on the patio, the warm weather for bike riding. But the apples, the blue of the sky, and the asters remind me that fall brings its own pleasures.
At night, the crickets are still singing and should continue until the cold silences them. However the hummingbirds—those feisty yet ethereal creatures—are gone, and yesterday I took in their feeders and gave them a good scrubbing. Out the feeders will come next spring, when the cycle begins again. a cycle that is old but is never stale, always a delight, always renewing.
With all that is going on in our country, in the world, this cycle brings me great comfort.
Notes From the Hinterland 
A beautiful post, Laurie! Your wish for sunny warm days and rain at night is the same as mine. 🙂
I remember Cortland apples from back east, and love them. I rarely see this variety here.
Thanks, Lavinia! Cortlands are one of my favorite apples. In fact, I’ll be having one for snack today.
Beautiful pictures. Fall is my favorite season and finally the perfect weather is holding up to my image of it during the rest of the year. Spring is my second favorite. Summer and winter in a tie for 3rd.
A beautiful fall, that’s for sure.
That sounds like the perfect autumn day to me – here it was wet!
We’ve been having such beautiful weather.
Great pictures! I love when the leaves start slowly changing colors and falling to the ground
Many thanks!
Beautiful photographs Laurie and the weather looks so blissful. We are having some wild weather here at the moment and hopefully the blue skies will return soon :o) xxx
Thanks so much! Hope the wild weather passes soon and doesn’t do too much damage.
Thank you Laurie, we had the tail of hurricane Maria over the weekend and the weather is beginning to turn brighter again today :o) xxx
Fortunately you just got the tail. Poor Puerto Rico! Glad the weather is turning brighter.
Thank you Laurie, Puerto Rico will need a lot of help to rebuild after everything they went through. Hopefully they will be spared any further storms 💜 xxx
I sure hope so.
This weather has been nice. We got a little rain on Saturday and hope it headed your way to water everything. We still have hardly any color here. The leaves are just dropping.
No rain here. The same is true with our leaves. Too much warmth? Not enough moisture?
What an envy inducing post but it is good to see someone enjoying perfect weather in what has been an unsettled year in many places.
Wish I could send some of this your way. Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. Somehow, I never get sick of them.
Wow— so much loveliness! I love reading about your seasonal changes in the beautiful northeast! Such a different world than where I am, but yes, even here in crowded unattractive suburbia we can look to the mountains that embrace this valley to find our solace in the natural world. Thanks as always for inspiring pictures and comforting words!
You’re very welcome!
I, too, find great solace in the seasons. I used to kick and scream going into fall and winter, now I realize how quickly time goes and soon (sort of!) it will be spring again. We’ll get through it.
Enjoy this glorious weather!
Thanks, Eliza.
That Maya blue is a sight!
I know. So beautiful.
Beautiful photos, Laurie! All our bird summer visitors have gone and the winter one’s haven’t arrived yet so it is quiet with just the resident birds going about their business.
Your mention of baked apples with ice-cream has made me decide that we must have some tomorrow! No Cortland apples here but we have some tart Bramleys and some spicy Norfolk Biffins to chose from.
Thanks, Clare! Love the name Norfolk Biffens. Oh, wonderful! We Americans come up with most boring names.
The Biffins are an old variety that we managed to find at a specialist nursery. The apples are mentioned in Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ – Stave 3 The Visit of the Second Spirit. He says they are squab and swarthy!
That’s wonderful hummingbird picture – I was taking it all in and feeling good when I scrolled to the bottom. Thank you for that, it’s brightened my day. 🙂
Oh, you’re welcome! After posting all those beautiful pictures of the peacock butterfly, I figured I should post a picture of a hummingbird for you.
It was much appreciated. 🙂
Lovely deep blue colour of this lake
Many thanks!