That smell.
It fills you with the tang of being up north in the fall.
It is earth and decomposition and sunshine and pureness in leaf shapes.
Golden yellows, soft roasted-looking reds, flaky brown ones, orange ones speckled with bits of brightness.
Bringing a handful to my face I close my eyes and see back to the trails I used to make in the yard as a child. Raked labyrinths leading nowhere and everywhere.
Inhaling I feel a shock of chilled air in my lungs. Exhaling I hear geese in the sky.
It is one of those perfect autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
NOTE: DRUMMOND ISLAND FALL ON THE ISLAND FESTIVAL:
Every autumn, nature puts on a brilliant show of color on Drummond Island. From bight yellows to vibrant reds, the leaves transform the landscape,
showing off their rich and intense hues.
Every year people flock here to take in the fall foliage,
to catch a glimpse of nature's splendor.
Now they come not only for the colors - they come for the Festival too!
To learn more go to the official Festival website: