Feeling Autumnal

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot


Even though we scarcely have distinct seasons here in Southern California, there are a few subtle cues that summer is giving way to fall.  

Soft light in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris

Just the other morning, I noticed that freckled, dappled gorgeous fall light.  In autumn, even if the temperatures haven't yet dipped and the pumpkins haven't yet started appearing on front porches, the light changes.  It becomes softer and more diffused.  Rather than that blinding direct hot sun of the summer, autumn brings speckled rays of glorious warm sunshine. 

As we bid farewell to summer over the next few weeks, I am giddy for the debut of my favorite season. I am reminding myself to hold off from "pumpkinizing" the apartment and gorging on bowls of candy corn.  I have to wait only a few more weeks until I bring out my acorns and leaves, only a few more weeks until I can wear my endlessly-comfy brown suede boots and my favorite fuzzy scarf. 

Do you love the fall like I do?  Have you noticed those subtle harbingers of changing seasons yet?

Images borrowed from DreamsUnderfoot, FranckRob & EmileGregoire.