As I lingered out of bed this morning, I heard the familiar meter of the voices of National Public Radio beating from the alarm clock in the corner. The woman begins listing the stations currently broadcasting her voice, and I am reminded how odd it is that, while I’m a good 45 minutes by car from West Virginia, it is West Virginia Public Radio that reaches me on the mountain. Occasionally, I can pick up WETA 90.9fm (Washington, DC Public Radio—a good 45 minute drive in the other direction) from my car in the driveway, but that’s really only on a good day. I am saddened a bit that of the public radio available to me in my new home, I have only West Virginia and Washington, DC; nothing more local.

Just when I cross through the doorway to leave my bedroom, our radio lady announces “…and at 11:42am today, the sun crosses the equator and autumn officially begins.”

My mood quickly shifts from being a bit disappointed with the world around me to excited for the changes to the world around me. Very soon I will begin seeing the trees start to don their harvest colors. I look forward to discovering which of the trees around me will color first, which will carry more bright yellow, and which will elegantly flash orange and red. I delight in the fact that our local supermarket may even carry some local produce in the next few weeks. I think about making soups and chilies. Fall is only a few hours away, according the the soft-voiced woman on the radio; and I’m excited. Continue Reading »