Welcome Autumn into Your Home: The Big Transition Between Summer and Fall
Starting back to school, cleaning out your den, falling back into bed for that one more hour, driving down the back roads to watch the changing leaves — what does fall mean to you?
Almost without warning, fall makes a quiet and subtle presence that interrupts those dog days of summer. To some, this initial change is unnoticeable, but to others, it’s just all too familiar. Maybe you smell it in the breeze or see its colors in a few of the trees’ leaves. Whether you catch wind of it early or not, the autumn transition makes its debut, and it becomes time to say goodbye to summer. Although you might feel some sorrow knowing that those hot, sunny days are long gone, it’s comforting to realize that there is a brand new season to welcome into your arms.
Fall Swoops in Naturally
While we might think that autumn just walks onto the scene to ruin our vacation, there are actually planetary changes that result in the shift in weather, daylight and foliage.
There are two equinoxes that occur every year: the spring and autumnal equinox. During the autumnal equinox, the sun is again directly over the earth’s equator. This first day of fall is noted on calendars as September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and as September 23 in the Southern Hemisphere. However, seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are opposite of those in the Southern Hemisphere, so when the North has fall in September, the South doesn’t experience autumn until March.
Now that the sun is directly above the equator, we experience a decrease in daylight so we fall back one hour — hence the phrase, “Spring forward, Fall back.” This year we will be adjusting our clocks on Sunday, November 7 at 2 a.m., and this is when Daylight Saving Time ends. Why do we change time? Well, it all started during World War I, and it was a way to save energy in light of the heavy war production. Daylight Saving Time is a continued tradition in our society today, because it enables us to take advantage of the longer and later daylight hours during the eight-month period.
The jet stream is also an important factor in the transition. In the summertime, the jet stream is usually north of the U.S. and Canada, but by the wintertime, its shifts so it’s directly over these countries. This shift results in more storms and colder air temperatures.
One of the greatest moments of this season — aside from the extra hour of sleep — is the incredible foliage. The U.S., Canada, Eastern Asia (China, Korea and Japan) and Europe are most notable for their deciduous trees’ breathtaking autumn foliage. It’s definitely a moment to witness, because that plum, red, orange and yellow seems to fall off all too quickly.
Bring the Fall Transition Homebound
Even if you’re not fond of the harvest season, you can partake in changing up your home accents. So after you have cleaned out the closets and sanitized every room, you can think about ways to enjoy fall while it’s here.
Simply because the hot summer nights are over, it doesn’t mean you can’t still eat or play outside — you just have to infuse the outdoors with warmth. In addition to setting up an above-ground fire pit or weather-resistant fire ring, you can cozy up to some patio heaters too. Whoever said it was too cold to use the hot tub or to sip a glass of fine California wine on the deck was sorely wrong!
There are also some fall accessories you might require too. If you prefer to heat your house with the fireplace, adding a firewood rack closer to your house, is convenient on those chilly days and nights. Wheelbarrows are also useful, especially when you’re gearing up to grow a fall garden. Maybe the most important autumn accessory to install is gutter protection. Leaf guards will keep out the falling debris and foliage so your gutters don’t harbor mosquitoes, birds or rodents.
Embracing this season can be a savory experience — just think of all the marshmallow roasting and barbecuing you can get in before the snow falls with these outdoor accessories!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marina Hanes is a writer and owner of Cat’s Eye Editing, LLC. She received a B.A. in Professional Writing & Editing from Youngstown State University, and her professional area of focus is Environmental Studies.
