This is my first official fall season in Montana. As I drive through the sleepy town of Lakeside, I can’t help but notice the green leaves changing color each morning on my way to drop off our daughter to school. Hues of gold and burgundy dot my perspective. The colors of the trees and brush on the side of the highway change from soft yellows to vibrant oranges and scarlet reds. It’s like a landscape painting coming to life right before my eyes. It’s a different kind of beauty than springtime when everything is bright green with trees beginning to bloom. Now with shorter days and cooler temperatures, the changing leaves remind us that a new season has arrived.
Growing season has arrived in Northwest Montana, too. Sugar pumpkins and Big Macs grow in the garden. It will be fun to carve our own pumpkins for Halloween! Apples and pears are ripening on the trees, too. I look forward to harvesting the fruit to make delicious treats like apple pie, pear crisps and even apple cider. On chilly nights, I anticipate sitting by the fire with a hot cup of tea and a good book to read.
I am in awe that I am living this dream! I am so grateful that we made this leap to move out of state. I would not have had the opportunity to ever experience the change of seasons in Southern California. Occasionally, we would have a cold spell for a week or two, but then it would go back to being sunny and warm. Not that there’s anything wrong with sunny or warm, but it’s exciting to see the seasons change in person and to live in a mountain community that offers a slower pace of life with the beauty of nature as my backdrop.
Julie Schnieders 