Signs Of Early Fall In Pure Florida

It's not the farmer's hay that is a sign of fall,

it's the golden quality of afternoon light this time of year.



The hot, white light of summer's sun is fading,

not gone yet, but a definitely a short timer.





Fall gives us our second strong flush of wildflower blooms,

with pink and yellow roadsides along country roads that

don't get mowed ...

much.


Fall begins the annual hunt, an old contest between the deer

and deer eaters. The nerdier deer soon learn where quiet

sanctuary awaits ...

like under the kids old jungle gym.

Fall signals itself with ripe bananas at my parent's house, hanging from the banana trees that I brought home over 4 decades ago in my little red wagon.
Fifi, the lady down the street who babysat me sometimes, gave them to me to take home and plant.
Each year they send up new shoots and try their best at making bananas along the northern edge of their comfort zone.

I can't look at 'nanner trees without thinking of the sweet old lady who watched over me and taught me to love green tea at the age of 5.

So fall brings memories too.

Fall makes Floridians wait until winter (almost) for peak tree leaf color changes, so we look for other more subtle signs of this fine season.

Sometimes ...
we actually find them.