The Glories Of Fall #OpenBook Blog Hop

September 22, 2025

What do you look forward to as Fall comes up?

I’ve lived where there is no fall.

I grew up in the forest-covered hills of Northwest Pennsylvania, where the trees turned a marvelous multitude of colors each fall. Where we’d go for walks, shuffling our feet, and smelling the essence of the earth as the leaves crumbled beneath our feet. But that isn’t the only type of fall I’ve experienced.

I spent a decade on the Oregon Coast. Because of the off-shore water currents and frequent fog banks, the temperatures remained moderate most of the year. ( I only saw snow reach the shoreline once in the ten years we lived there.)  Most of the trees were evergreens, with no leaves to drop. I spent more time trimming my camellia bushes than raking leaves.

Then there was Florida. No fall there either. And no leaves to rake. But grass to mow all year long.

Wyoming’s fall was short, but at least offered hillsides of glorious gold aspen trees. (Confession: this spot was just south of the Wyoming border in Colorado.)

But here I am, less than twenty miles from where I grew up.

.And here we are, with fall hastily taking over. I wasn’t ready for it this year. The first hints of color graced the oak and maple trees in the first week of September. A reminder to hurry and finish the tasks I’ve put off all summer.

At the same time, I’m falling in love again with the little plot of land I call mine. Or rather, I like to think I’ve been given the privilege of taking care of it, even if for a short time. The maple behind the house has already turned orange, and when the morning sun’s rays hit it, it’s enough to make me stop and soak in the momentary beauty.

It won’t be long now until the hillsides turn into a patchwork of color. The tourists will arrive as well, to glimpse the wonder. But unless they take the right back roads, they’ll miss the best views.

So, my answer is simple. What do I look forward to? It’s the glory of the wooded hillsides, and the display Mother Earth shares with us.

How about our other authors? What do they look forward to? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

P.S. For those of you in the Lancaster PA area, Saturday the 27th, I will be taking part in the Books Books Books event at the Wyndham Expo Center Barn. I’ll be in spot 145. Stop by and say hi!

September 22, 2025

What do you look forward to as Fall comes up?

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Writing By The Seasons #OpenBook Blog Hop

March 18, 2924

Is there a specific time of year when your ideas flow better and you find you’re writing more? What do you think contributes to that?

We are in our third? fourth? spring/winter. The daffodils are up but not blooming; the tulips are peaking through the compost, and I’ve spotted a few wildflowers in my yard. Yesterday it was 60°F. It’s snowed off and on all day today.

I don’t know if any of that contributes to my writing output. (Which has been terrible lately, because of a lot of other circumstances.) The truth is, I’ve never related my level of inspiration to the seasons. That may be because I have spent many years living in areas that don’t conform to a ‘standard’ cycle of seasons. Like Florida with no seasons. Or Wyoming, with a 9-month long winter. I’ve learned to adapt.

What I crave is light.

Lots of it. Sunshine is almost perfect, but even artificial lighting works. I’m not one of these folks who stares at a computer screen and dims all the surrounding lights. Why do I say almost perfect for the sun? This time of year, there’s about an hour in the morning when the sun streams in my office window and right into my eyes. I can’t write without closing the curtains, which I don’t want to do. Last spring, I attempted to sit on my deck to write, but I couldn’t see my laptop’s screen. I want to try again this year, but use paper and pen.

During the summer, one factor that plays into my productivity is the book-selling events I take part in. A two-day festival within a couple of hours from home takes three or four days out of my writing schedule when including preparation and time to decompress. As a result, my overall output goes way down. There aren’t many outdoor festivals in the late fall and winter, and haven’t found a schedule of indoor events to add to my repertoire.

Photo by Casey Britton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/overexposed-photograph-of-a-window-13742248/

Photo by Casey Britton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/overexposed-photograph-of-a-window-13742248/

I’m more dependent on the time of day.

Mornings and evenings are when I can settle into my writing, no matter what the season. I get the standard mid-afternoon slump, no matter what the task at hand. I avoid taking naps, even if my energy level isn’t at its peak. My best time is at night, with the day’s tasks complete, when I can ignore the outside world.

Here’s where I remind you to check out this week’s post by the other authors on this hop. You can do that by following the links below.  And, as always, please stay safe until the next time!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

March 18, 2924

Is there a specific time of year when your ideas flow better and you find you’re writing more? What do you think contributes to that?