This years version of the "Great Pumpkin"
greets visitors to the Birch Ridge Inn

This years version of the "Great Pumpkin"
greets visitors to the Birch Ridge Inn

If you think about it too hard, fall in Vermont can be a bittersweet season. On the bitter side, sunlight is fading, temperatures are falling, flowers are disappearing. Playing golf, you notice a definite crispness in the air. You wonder when you get dressed in the morning, should you retire the summer shorts and opt for long pants and a sweater...

But then there is the sweetness.

The trees on the mountains fire up a dazzling color show unlike anything else in the world. Farmers are finishing their harvests, resulting in all kinds of variety in the local food supply. Great pumpkins and squashes make their appearance after growing in the fields all summer. With the cold nights, you know that snow season is just around the corner, creating all kinds of new opportunities to play outdoors. It seems like everyone in town is doing ski training exercises to get ready for the coming season. There is definitely a sense of anticipation as summer slides into fall.