Page 30 - NLL - OCT2026

Page 30
Community
By Donna RhoDes
It’s that time of year once again when the sweaters slowly make their way out from the back of the closet, quilts begin to creep quietly back onto the beds and the air conditioners are replaced by a few open win- dows that let the cool crisp air in during the day. Yes, I love fall- just not necessarily what comes after it!
This is truly my favorite time of year though. Maybe it’s be- cause I was born in mid-Sep- tember; maybe it’s because life takes a deep breath and we get to enjoy the peace of this beau- tiful state we live in, without the hustle and bustle of traffic from summer tourists and the fire- works that go off seemingly all throughout the summer. Well, at least around Newfound Lake.
As August slides past us each year I always keep my eyes out for those harbingers of fall that start to appear. The Cardinal Flowers on the rivers’ edge, the golden rod lining the roadways all give me the first hint that summer is coming to an end.
When I spot those, I like to stop by nesting areas and wave
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October 2026
Life on The Back Roads
goodbye to the osprey, wishing them good luck on their long trek south for the winter.
The Canada Goose young’uns start getting their fly- ing feathers, and gaggles of them can be seen in the fields, fueling up for their long journey as well. I have to admit that when I hear them honking as they form their famed V-formations and begin to head out of the area, I do get abitsad.Ifinditalotmorejoy- ful when I hear them arriving back in April though.
And we can’t forget about the turkeys. The back roads are clogged with mamas and their rapidly growing brood and the “field trips” are everywhere now that the “littles” aren’t so little any longer. The guys also gather in groups and challenge you when you want to drive by. Sometimes I feel it’s a shame they don’t migrate, too. My brother had one come through his windshield once and I have to admit that taught me to give them a courtesy stop when they gather in front of my car. They can do a lot of damage.
Out on the back roads there are many other signs of fall too. We all know that sound of the
chainsaw running non-stop as a woodshed begins to fill up.
My husband and I used to make a day of it. He would in- vite friends over to help cut and stack our wood while I stayed busy in the kitchen making the first turkey dinner of the season as a thank you to them all. It made the work seem more worth it to them at the end of the day.
One other thing I enjoy in fall is that first whiff of a campfire on a cool fall night. Even the smell of woodstove smoke drifting
from the chimney for the first time is nice- until you remember that it will soon be working over- time for the next several months.
Driving or walking through the woods this time of year I am always amazed how one day that lush old maple can be green, then suddenly that same tree can have vivid red or yel- low leaves throughout much of the branches the next day. Es- pecially those “swamp maples” in the many bogs. They are an early sign that Jack Frost is not
far away.
My father, working in forestry,
always drove my siblings and I crazy each fall as he insisted on telling us his story about how leaves change color as we went for a ride. To retaliate, while a biology major in college, I began to bore him with my own tales about “Pioneer Succession” in the forests. Look it up- it’s a fas- cinating explanation of how for- ests can change their make up! (insert my wink here!)
Well, we can’t stop the change of the seasons but we can take time to stop and enjoy their many nuances. Orange pump- kins in the fields, white and blue asters on the roadsides, apple picking and the great cider we get from them. The fairs!
There really is a lot to love every month of the year actually and we can like them each for their differences.
So enjoy everyday the sun still shines bright, put the gardens to bed for now, can up the fresh vegetables, go out and pick your apples and pumpkins then get working on those fun Halloween costumes.
See you next month!
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