What I Love, #5

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Part 2.
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Part 4.

I really love the smell of autumn. I didn't know this, but that crisp, almost singeing, chilly smell that I associate with winter (in California) is really autumn, a season that I am not well acquainted with.

There are these trees on my street here in Albuquerque that were vibrantly green and turned suddenly, violently yellow. Seemingly overnight. I took these pictures with my phone on my way to work one morning, because I was so surprised by their change.

I love those pictures that everyone's used to seeing of the east coast, and their delicious fall colors. Central Park, with its trees all red, orange, and yellow. But I'm not used to seeing it in real life.

The horribly sad thing, of course, is that the trees are shedding their leaves really quickly. Every morning now, the street looks as though it is lined in a golden carpet. While very pretty, it makes the trees look sad and abandoned, like they've shivered all their leaves off.

Every morning now, I am very cold. I get out of bed already cold and bundle up before I step outside, but no amount of clothing has worked so far- I'm always cold when I get to work. The only thing I like about this cold is the smell of autumn, whatever that consists of. It smells kind of like burning wood, a little like warm spices, maybe just a bit like dew-damp dirt under icy blades of grass.

I love that smell.

I'm sure going to miss it when it stays freezing cold outside and I won't be able to smell anything!