The Fall colors in Arkansas are among the best anywhere (in my view). With the surrounding hills showing off their brilliant orange and yellow, stunning reds and deep burgundy, the landscape is a pallet of warmth and coziness. In fact, Fall Foliage Vacations are recommended about this time every year. The courtroom where I spent the better part of the last two days has windows that look out on Mount Sequoyah, one of the purported seven hills in our town. Over the last week and a half, temperatures here have been showing fewer extremes, ranging between seventies in the daylight hours and fifties during the nights. We’ve even had a few nights already where the temps have dipped to the forties … which usually makes the Friday Night high school football fans happy.

As temperatures begin to drop, there’s a noticeable difference in how the air smells. In the country where we live, people begin burning their leaves and brush piles outdoors. To chase away the night chill, outdoor fire pits and indoor wood-burning fireplaces get more use. I wrote the poem below a long time ago, but it’s as applicable today as it was way back when. With the days getting shorter and the end of daylight savings time just around the corner, there’s no doubt now that Fall is here and Winter isn’t far behind. (Yes, there are already Christmas displays in the stores!!)