This author’s note originally appeared in the September 5th edition of my author newsletter. To subscribe to my newsletter, click here.
Five years ago, I wrote a blog post titled “Reasons why September is my favorite month of the year.” Ever since then, whenever September rolls around, it becomes the most popular post on my blog. Since this is the first newsletter I’ve sent this September, I thought it would be fun to revisit all the reasons why September is the best month of the year.
First of all, fall is obviously the best season for a number of reasons. Summer is too hot and winter is too cold, but spring and fall are transitional seasons where, for at least a couple of weeks, the weather is exactly perfect. Spring is a close second to fall (and if you happen to live down under, September is a spring month, not an autumn month), but it’s ultimately not the best because the year hasn’t come full circle yet. Spring flowers are pretty, but fall vegetables are better.
Of all the fall months (September, October, November), September is the best because:
- Chilly mornings — I love waking up to a nice, brisk chill! Must be my Viking blood.
- Campfire smoke — Few scents are more invigorating than the good, clean wood smoke of a bonfire, especially in the brisk, chilly September air.
- Farmer’s markets — If you haven’t experienced a proper farmer’s market with fresh, local produce and delicious free samples, you should. It’s a real treat!
- Crisp Gala apples — Gala is my favorite, though Mrs. Vasicek and I have a running debate about which is the best kind of apple (she prefers Pink Lady). However, all apples are delicious when you pick them right off the tree.
- Home-cooked chili — A classic staple of American cuisine. It’s too warm for summer and too heavy for spring, but for the colder months of fall and winter, it’s amazing.
- Autumn leaves — Growing up in New England, this was a special treat. The American northeast has some of the most spectacular fall foliage I’ve ever seen.
- Labor Day weekend — A very relaxing holiday, and the best way to bring the summer to a close.
- My birthday — It only comes around once a year!
- Start of the school calendar — New beginnings, and another reason why fall is superior to spring. In the fall, school is new and exciting, but when spring rolls around you can’t hardly wait for it to end.
- Old friends coming and going — Related to the reasons listed above.
- Last chance to go mountain climbing — And it’s much better to go hiking in the fall, because there isn’t any snow yet and it’s not as hot as summer.
- First chance to take out winter clothes — You can always put on more clothes, but you can’t always take more off.
- End of the summer slump — It’s always good when book sales are increasing.
- Beginning of harvest season — So much delicious and healthy food!
- Orion and the Pleiades — My favorite stars!
- Clear blue skies — Chill air is great, but so are Indian summers.
- Indian summers — What did I just say??
- Long, chilly walks by moonlight — It’s good to get the blood pumping, but not so cold that it freezes your nose and beard.
- The peace and quiet between summer vacation and the holidays — This is a big one. September is the last month before the stress of the holiday season, which seems to be creeping back earlier and earlier. But that’s a subject for another author’s note, which I’ll probably write as soon as they start to play Christmas music (hopefully not before Thanksgiving).
- Getting back into writing after a long and eventful summer
Funny how that last one is just as true for me now as it was five years ago. It has been an extremely eventful summer, between getting married, spending time with Mrs. Vasicek’s family, and figuring out our new lives together. But now it’s September, the best month of the year, and things are coming together. Life is very, very good.
