Saturday was the official start of Autumn with the autumnal equinox. According to Internet sources,
…the Autumnal equinox occurs the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s Equator – from north to south. This happens either on September 22, 23, or 24 every year.
When this happens, both the Northern and Southern hemispheres will experience an equal amount of daylight, hence the word “equinox,” Latin for Equal Night. For those south of the equator, it’s the beginning of spring.
For many, Autumn marks a kind of sadness as longer nights set in. For myself, I love this time of year. After so many hectic summers working as a full-time Aquatics Director, trying not to lose my mind after working 30 days straight, being on emergency stand-by or dealing with 150 lifeguards and their drama, fall was a welcome respite at work. It meant I could be in my office and get administrative work done as I looked forward to some vacation time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Now that I teach in Fall and Spring semesters, my Autumns are ironically busy, but in a different way. I don’t have to deal with the threat of drownings or other emergencies (unless you call a student’s desperate plea for an extension on their term paper an emergency). Plus I am inspired every day that I am on campus watching the leaves change from shades of green to a brilliant variety of colors.
This is one of my glorious views when the ginkgo trees hit their peak!
On a bike ride last weekend, on one side of the American River Bike Trail, were bushes of yellow cone flowers or Black-eyed Susans, which to me just scream “summer is still alive and well!”
But just down the trail were some deciduous trees providing the preview of Fall shown in this image. The signs of Autumn SLOWwwwly morph our warm September days into those longed-for crisp Fall days.
The traditional Autumn colors normally peak here in mid-November, around Veterans Day. Whenever we travel to San Diego for Christmas holidays, Autumn still shows her lovely self in many of the Liquid Amber trees that are still draped in Fall splendor.
California is slow to get into Autumn but we get a long dose of it over several months, depending where you live.
Which just makes it that more special to me as I fill up my Dropbox with yet another set of images of Autumn. For now I will continue to love Indian Summer and embrace the sunny yellows.
For those in the Southern hemisphere, tell me what you like about your autumn!
Festival of Leaves is back!
If your inner geek still needs more of a scientific explanation of the autumnal equinox, check out this article 8 Things to Know About Autumn.
Show us your favorite photos, poems, music, or stories of Autumn from your perspective for Sunday Stills! Link up or pingback your post to this post!
Second Wind Leisure Perspectives 
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