Autumn is my favorite season by far and often times the shortest to experience. This year is different. This year autumn has been a slow progression from the warmer days to the cooler nights, the transition of the soft green leaves of summer to the vibrant red, orange, and yellow ones, and the observing of animals as they begin the process of hunting for winter. Earlier walks, the trees were covered in green, the shrubbery and green area was blossoming with flowers and fruits, like the Paw Paw tree. Now everything has changed. A dozen pairs of feet crunching the already fallen leaves, the last remnants of summer still clinging to the forest as if it wishes not to be parted. The animals chittering and chatting to each other, looking for food, and unscared of the mysterious people walking through their home.

I found myself enjoying every little moment of this hike and honestly every fall hike this year because of the slowness of the transition between seasons. Fall is often called the transition season or in between season but in years past it’s a sudden snap from summer to winter. No changing of leaves, the sweltering days of summer turn course and cold with a sudden winter, and the transition of the forest life must adapt to the abrupt change. This fall, there is a slow and steady transition. Even the past few days I have seen the leaves change from dull colors to the vibrancy that comes with it, the slow chills of the mornings becoming warmer then colder, and the sun rising high in the sky just warm enough to cut the cool edge. I can’t help but notice the sweet season of change as time goes on, we march to the beat, just as animals prepare for winter, we as people must go through each day preparing for the next.