Ahhhhh, Autumn

Ahhh, autumn. A favorite time of year for many people. A reprieve from the heat and humidity of summer. The leaves are beautiful colors, and the air smells fresh and clean. 

The cooler temperatures of autumn prepare us for the frigid temperatures of winter. The temperatures start to drop, and then rise again. Indian summer, we call it. What is Indian summer?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Indian summer thus:

Indian summer  noun

: a period of warm weather in late autumn or early winter

: a happy or pleasant period near the end of someone's life, career, etc.

But wait a minute. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, it's not really Indian summer. 

This is what the Old Farmer's Almanac says about what criteria are needed for a true Indian summer: 

As well as being warm, the atmosphere during Indian summer is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.

A moving, cool, shallow polar air mass is converting into a deep, warm, stagnant anticyclone (high pressure) system, which has the effect of causing the haze and large swing in temperature between day and night.

The time of occurrence is important: The warm days must follow a spell of cold weather or a good hard frost.

The conditions described above must occur between St. Martin's Day (November 11) and November 20. For over 200 years, The Old Farmer's Almanac has adhered to the saying, "If All Saints' (November 1) brings out winter, St. Martin's brings out Indian summer."

In other words, a true Indian summer is when we get abnormally warm  weather after the first killing freeze of autumn. The overnight temperature drops to 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and there may or may not be an accompanying frost. A true Indian summer can happen more than once in mid to late autumn. 

Europe has an equivalent of Indian summer that they call Old Wives Summer. England's equivalent is called St. Martin's Summer or St. Luke's summer, depending on the date on which it occurs. In poetry, Indian summer is often referred to as Halcyon Days.

How did Indian summer get its name? Everyone has a theory about this. Here's one presented by the Old Farmer's Almanac:

Why is Indian summer called Indian summer? There are many theories. Some say it comes from the early Algonquian Native Americans, who believed that the condition was caused by a warm wind sent from the court of their southwestern god, Cautantowwit. 

The most probable origin of the term, in our view, goes back to the very early settlers in New England. Each year they would welcome the arrival of a cold wintry weather in late October when they could leave their stockades unarmed. But then came a time when it would suddenly turn warm again, and the Native Americans would decide to have one more go at the settlers. "Indian summer," the settlers called it.

I don't care how it got its name. I don't care whether it happens in mid-October or mid- to late November. This is a beautiful time of year, and the temperatures are so enjoyable that I want to spend the whole day outside. I spent the entire summer in my air-conditioned house. Now I have my windows open to let in the fresh air, and I have fans running to circulate the air through the house. It's really pleasant tonight. A soft rain is falling and the crickets are chirping. I love to look at photos of autumn leaves from all over the world. This is the time of year when I would like to go camping, while many people prefer to go camping in the summer. My thoughts turn to the coming holidays...turkey, crock-pot meals, apple pies, pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin scented candles, pumpkin everything.

Take lots of photos of the autumn leaves and fill a scrapbook with them. Gather your loved ones around the fire pit, eat Brunswick stew, drink hot cocoa, and make s'mores. Rake the leaves into a huge pile and play in them with your kids and your dog. Go to a local pumpkin patch, pick out the biggest pumpkins you can find, ride atop a wagon full of straw, and wind your way through a maze of hay bales and dried corn stalks. Make crafts with pumpkins, gourds, corn husks, and Indian corn. Savor the sweetness of Honeycrisp apples. Watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown over and over and over with your kids. Make Halloween costumes for them, for yourselves, and even for your pets. Treasure these moments with those you love. 

Lounge in a chair on a dock, and be mesmerized by the reflection of the brilliant autumn leaves on the placid lake. Take a deep breath and let it out. Close your eyes in contentment and smile. Ahhhhh, autumn.