Fall is a time for reflection

I love the fall.  It always makes me reminisce.  I am not sure why, but I reflect on the past.  Not the past like last week or last month - not even last year.  I think about people from my past.  I wonder if it is because of the leaves.  They have that beautiful antique look with deep colours and that smell they have.  Maybe that's it!  Smell... haven't researchers shown some kind of link between our memory and smell?  I mean don't babies even know their mother because of smell?

I have favourite memories of the fall.  About five years ago, my friend had a dog that was so homely she was cute.  She brought her over to play with my dog Jasmine.  Jasmine was afraid of other dogs so when the dog, Penny, came over, Jasmine would run like the wind to get away.  As she ran around like a maniac, I was raking leaves.  We have a big yard so the pile of leaves could have easily filled an 8x8 room floor to ceiling.  As Jasmine was running she was getting tired but Penny kept chasing.  Jasmine finally flopped into the leaves.  Oddly enough, Penny stopped running and just stood there looking at Jasmine.  Jasmine soon figured it out that if she was in the pile of leaves, Penny wouldn't chase her.  When Penny turned to go do something else, Jasmine would gingerly walk out of the leaves so Penny wouldn't notice her.  But to not avail.  Penny was eagle-eyed and she saw Jasmine.  Jasmine would run like crazy and then the thought must have occurred to her that the leaves were her sanctuary.  There she stood for the remainder of the afternoon while Penny visited.  When she finally came in the house, she had that "leafy" smell.  :)  That was a great memory of my dog.

Another memory that I repeat year after year was my mom's birthday when she turned 75.  My mom often talked about the "olden days".  How special they were; how simple they were - and she remembered the clip clop of horses hooves.  Mom's birthday was in October so I thought I'd surprise her with a horse and buggy ride.  I had arranged for her sister from Sarnia to travel down to surprise her for her birthday too.  My Aunt Olive was fun.  She had such an infectious laugh.  I popped over to mom's and she was sharing what a surprise it was for Olive to be there and what a special day it was for her.  I nodded.  After a good cup of tea and some maple cream filled cookies, I suggested that we go for a drive to see the fall leaves.  My mom loved that.  I told her that would be my gift to her.  She readily agreed as she hurried to grab her coat.  I had put some blankets, hats, mitts and scarves in the trunk of my car because I knew what was in store.  My aunt looked a little suspicious as she was layering up to get into the car for the "drive" but my mom didn't even seem to notice.  As we drove down Fountain Street toward Blair, the smell and leaves were beautiful.  Very regal indeed.  We turned onto Highway #7, and then I turned left as per the directions I had been told.  We were about 45 minutes early for our booked ride so I drove around the countryside.

My mom was saying how much she missed the old days and the horse-drawn rides into town.  As I looked into the rear view mirror, my Aunt's eyes were just sparkling with anticipation.  She was smiling from eye to eye.  My mom must have thought her story was really good because she didn't seem to notice that nobody else was talking.  It was then that I pointed out a beautiful white carriage hooked up to a team of horses on the top of a hill.  My mom was almost beside her self as I made my way up the hill to take a closer look.  As I got to the driveway, I said, "Hey mom, let's see if he'll take us for a ride." and I turned the car into the driveway.  My mom was mortified.  A total stranger - and she wasn't dressed up - she begged me to back out of the driveway.  As I pulled up my mom looked like she was trying to shrink to the size of a pea in the backseat.  The carriage driver came over and opened the car door and said, "Which one of you ladies is Audrey?"  My poor mom... she couldn't even say anything.  He helped my aunt and my mom into the carriage, tucked them up with beautiful blankets and the black Belgian horses were decorated with beautiful white bows in their manes and the bridle and reigns were glistening silver and black.  Soon, all you could here was my mom repeating stories of her childhood as the horses clipped clopped down the road.  Both mom and my aunt were transported to seventy years prior at that moment in that carriage.

It's good to reflect.  It's good to have cherished memories.  It's good that fall brings those special memories.