Finally fall

Bright yellow trees stood out like beacons behind the thick layer of fog blanketing the valley this morning. Fall is finally here: I smell it in the air and feel it in the morning chill. In the garden, the tomatoes are done but the root crops and cabbages are begging to be harvested, and deer are chomping on the sweet potatoes. Yesterday I chopped a turnip so fresh it came open with a snap, and I peeled beets so rich and dark they smelled like earth. Beets, potatoes, cabbage, turnips, parsnips, onions: a pot of borscht, a loaf of home-made pumpernickel, and good company made an excellent way to welcome the season.