For me, Fall has always heralded the start of a new year. Perhaps it's because that's when the school year starts. Fall has always meant new things to learn, new people to meet, new challenges and information. Though I haven't been in school of any kind for years now, the feelings associated with a new school year always return when the days get shorter and the winds bring the chilly, crisp smell of ripe apples from the yard and snow from the mountains.
This weekend was the first day of Fall. Oh, it wasn't "officially," but this weekend was the first time it was cold enough to fire up the wood pellet stove and put on a couple of sweaters. It was the first time it was cold enough to drag out the giant, poofy down comforter for the bed, and the first time I felt that sense of energy, of new life for the year -- that sense that anything was possible. It was the first time we saw snow just outside of town. Yep, it's a new year, with new possibilities.
