I live in Vermont so I get it, the leaves are beautiful, the landscapes awe inspiring..but we also have to rack up all those beautiful leaves that have fallen dead from the branches above. We try and make it fun, let kids jump in the decaying debris mixed with various animal feces. Only to be bagged up and left by the curb…But believe it or not that is not the darkest part. We trick ourselves as animals, at our most primal selves to believe there is joy and warmth in the fall. It’s apple season and we all love apples…but can get fresh year round at the market…but Autumn is a time of death, the signal of darkness to come. Crops are all harvested (aka killed) then sacrificed at a meal we call “Thanksgiving” where we all eat more than we ever should (worst idea to deplete resources prior to winter). So we celebrate to struggle, trying to convince ourselves that the warmth and growth of the summer months isn’t being lost to the cruel reality that is Autumn.