Fall Flashbulb
I've been thinking a lot today about cooler weather (in this case, thinking=wishing for). I love, love, love that first significant cool front of Fall. It doesn't take much of a temperature drop to make me happy. Heck, a drop from 99% humidity to 85% humidity makes me want to bake pumpkin bread and watch The Great Pumpkin over and over again.
I had one of those "flashbulb" memories today about cooler weather. I remember, a few years ago, going into Central Market one early Fall day around 5:30pm (not sure what I was thinking because that place gets CRAAAZY after work). The skies outside were sliced in half by a ridge of dark, midnight blue clouds and the wind was whipping around the parking lot. People were getting out of their cars to go inside and receipts and other pieces of trash violently flew out. Women had to hold their skirts down to keep them from flying up and men with bad comb-overs looked like roosters, as their heavily-sprayed film of hair stood on end. Unprepared for the cooler weather, people dressed in sundresses and short sleeves hurried through the parking lot and quickly entered the store. The wind was cool and crisp and smelled like leaves and burning wood.
Inside, the deli/prepared foods area was wall to wall people. People were lined up three and four deep, awaiting their turn to peruse the collection of hot, ready-to-eat soups and stews. People were hurrying past me with loaves of fresh bread and bottles of hearty red wines obviously in a hurry to get home to spend time with family, a lover or maybe a good movie. The floral department was ripe with the colors of fall...hydrangeas, rust red and meadow green. Curly willow, accenting every arrangement. Mini pumpkins adorning every horizontal surface. There was an energy in the store--everyone obviously excited about the cool temperatures...a reward for the endurance test which is a South Texas Summer.
I'm not sure why this particular place/time sticks in my head, but it makes me tingle with excitement when I think about it. I also become giddy at the prospect of seeing the same scenario again in the next month or so.
I had one of those "flashbulb" memories today about cooler weather. I remember, a few years ago, going into Central Market one early Fall day around 5:30pm (not sure what I was thinking because that place gets CRAAAZY after work). The skies outside were sliced in half by a ridge of dark, midnight blue clouds and the wind was whipping around the parking lot. People were getting out of their cars to go inside and receipts and other pieces of trash violently flew out. Women had to hold their skirts down to keep them from flying up and men with bad comb-overs looked like roosters, as their heavily-sprayed film of hair stood on end. Unprepared for the cooler weather, people dressed in sundresses and short sleeves hurried through the parking lot and quickly entered the store. The wind was cool and crisp and smelled like leaves and burning wood.
Inside, the deli/prepared foods area was wall to wall people. People were lined up three and four deep, awaiting their turn to peruse the collection of hot, ready-to-eat soups and stews. People were hurrying past me with loaves of fresh bread and bottles of hearty red wines obviously in a hurry to get home to spend time with family, a lover or maybe a good movie. The floral department was ripe with the colors of fall...hydrangeas, rust red and meadow green. Curly willow, accenting every arrangement. Mini pumpkins adorning every horizontal surface. There was an energy in the store--everyone obviously excited about the cool temperatures...a reward for the endurance test which is a South Texas Summer.
I'm not sure why this particular place/time sticks in my head, but it makes me tingle with excitement when I think about it. I also become giddy at the prospect of seeing the same scenario again in the next month or so.
posted by Jenny | 5:49 PM
1 Comments:
damn, makes me want to don a flannel shirt and jeans and go to central market and wait for it.
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