The autumnal days of beauty are upon us; it’s officially peak foliage season.
Nights are cool and the days are neither cold nor hot. From Deerfield to Athol, the region is aflame with color. Even though winter is my favorite season, I find the few short months of fall in New England difficult to put in the rearview mirror.
As I write this, the maple tree just outside my apartment is dropping yellow and orange leaves. Sunlight is slanting through the blinds and there’s a crisp breeze blowing in through the cracked window. If I didn’t know any better, I might think I was in heaven.
All in all, it’s not a bad time to return to work after a week-long vacation on Cape Cod. My wife, Brianna and I rented a cottage in Chatham, about a 5-minute walk from Ridgevale Beach. Peak tourist season had passed and we very much enjoyed a quiet week without much of an agenda.
On the first evening, we wandered down to the nearby beach to take in the sunset and watch the waves roll in with dusk.
Nearby, a young boy, no older than 10 years old, was collecting hermit crabs in the shallows while his mother watched from the shore.
He was completely enthralled in his search, oblivious to the passage of time. Every time he found a crab, he’d call out his success and place it in a plastic pail filled with seawater.
As the light faded, we started to pack up to head back to the cottage. Near the shallows, the boy’s mother seemed to have the same idea. She gathered up their belongings and told him they had to go home.
He wasn’t having any of it.
Instead of leaving, the boy waded further into the shallows, continuing his search.
“I’m coming after just one more,” he’d call, then stoop down and peer into the water. “Oh, look at this! OK, one more minute. I’m coming; last one, I promise!”
This continued for 10 minutes or so. Each crab he found led to one more.
We held in laughter as we watched from afar (I’m sure it was frustrating for his mother). I could relate to the boy’s hesitancy to leave that beautiful place. Similarly, I find myself asking for just one more beautiful fall day. Please, just one more. And after that, please, give me just one more day of seasonal beauty.
Andy Castillo can be reached a t acastillo@recorder.com.