If you were around the Internet much last month, you were probably slammed with October love. Everyone was loving on not just fall as a season, but October as the embodiment of that season. Everyone suddenly started quoting Anne of Green Gables and gushing about how lucky we are to live in a world where there are Octobers. (Resisting urge to turn this into a post all about how you can’t trust Internet quotes taken out of context. I can find no actual citation for the quote “attributed” to Camus about fall being a second spring where every leaf is a flower.* Even if he did say that, it was probably sandwiched in between things no one wants superimposed on a pretty photo about the meaninglessness of life. And that Hamlet quote about love that supposedly exists? False. Let’s go back to finding quotes in books, rather than the internet, deal?)
Confession: October is kind of a lame tease, and I am so thankful to live in a world where October mercifully gives way to November.
Every year I, like the rest of the world, get prematurely excited about fall. September 1st rolls around and I am putting pumpkin in everything and throwing back seasonal Starbucks beverages at an alarming rate. I too am guilty of Instagramming every read leaf I saw during those September weeks.
And then October comes, and we all act like fall comes with it.
Maybe it does… in places other than where I live. Because in DC, and in a lot of other places, October is just a fickle tease, where the leaves hover a greenish yellow, and the temperature waffles between hot, and just cool enough to make you think you can wear a scarf and sweater and then you sweat all day long and have to dry-clean pit stains. Every year we think October means committed fall, but it just doesn’t. We can’t count on October. And premature season excitement leads to Starbucks Christmas cups before we even get through Halloween. I think we can all agree on the tragedy in that.
But November? November can be trusted. November blows in with cold drizzles, grey days, and carpets of colorful leaves on every sidewalk. November brings chilly nights and golden late afternoons. November is Thanksgiving and cornucopias and pilgrims. November is committed to being fall, and I love it for that. 
Last week I went for a run and couldn’t get over all the beautiful leaves carpeting our neighborhood. I grabbed my camera and headed back out for some pictures…
… but then I decided that wasn’t enough and I spent an eternity gathering leaves of every hue to drag back to our apartment and arrange on my table.
Totally an excellent use of my time.
Thanks November, for kicking October to the curb.
*Update: A French lit studying friend succeeded in finding the reference that has become that quote. In the second act of Le Malentendu, a character asks another what fall is and the response is “Another spring where all the leaves are like flowers.” While this quote is in one of the few positive passages, the optimistic character who says it is soon killed by his sister. Because this is Camus, and that’s how he rolls.
The Art in Life 
I agree with you completely !! Here in the Dallas area Oct is just a bit cooler summer month !! Now that we are in the middle of November we are having some really cold days mixed in with nice days, but no real hot days.
The leaves are beautiful, unfortunately we are just starting to see the leaves starting to turn, it will be really into Dec before it looks like fall here, sometimes the end of November if we are lucky but it looks more like Thanksgiving at Christmas here most years !!!
I hope you get some pretty fall leaves before Thanksgiving!
It looks beautiful. In Manitoba, October is when we get our stereotypical fall–the leaves, the last of the harvest, even Thanksgiving. November is the month where the sky teases snow, we alternate between wool coat and parka, and try out our winter tires for the first time. November is to winter like October is to fall in DC.
I guess that further north does get some good Octobers. When I went to school in Michigan I loved fall… it’s just been a disappointment ever since!
I haven’t been to Michigan in the fall, but if it’s anything like Wisconsin, it’s gorgeous!
Loved every bit of this post. NOVEMBER DOES NOT MEAN CHRISTMAS. Let’s enjoy the rest of fall, and while we’re at it, actually talk about Thanksgiving! That holiday always gets skipped between all the Halloween and Christmas hoopla. But it’s one of my favorite holidays and I don’t like that it doesn’t get its rightful attention.
IT SO DOES NOT!!!
Except, I have to confess. I did buy eggnog today. But only because they stop selling it so soon after Christmas and I just love it so much!!! But I didn’t drink it from a Christmas mug.
Amen, amen! I gave up on October years ago, except that it’s sort of like the last hour of work. You love it because it’s so very close to the part you’re most excited about. But November simply can’t be beat. Love all the photos, too.
Thanks! And good analogy about why we love October!
I totally get your post, and if I liked cold fall weather, I would totally agree with you! But I love October BECAUSE it’s not totally fall yet! I hate the cold, but October is a nice transition to get me accustomed to the cold 🙂
Fair enough! I will be whining about the cold come March, but for now, I’m loving these chilly days.
I like the part about November being committed to autumn. So true.
Committed seasons — that look like those posters we saw in elementary school — that’s all I want!
Reblogged this on Coffee Spoons.
In Iowa, November is committed to stripping branches, chilling bones, dusting snow, and browning grass… if our November looked like yours, I would be a fan. However. It does not. So I am going to say I’m still a big fan of October and I mourn it’s passing. Been drinking lots of hot chocolate with big marshmallows (OF COURSE) to console myself.
Ok, ok… that does sound pretty bad. But hot chocolate with BIG MALLOWS sounds AWESOME.
These pics are top-notch. Even though it’s still 90 degrees here, this put me in a fall mood!
Thanks friend! I would send you a big pile of leaves if I could!
Well, I was about to write a comment about how it’s the same in Kentucky and then I remembered that you’re from here too…
and so I’m just here to say that I love November a wee bit more than October, but the best colors are almost gone, thanks to all that wind and rain at the start of November.
Oh well. At least I can wear a scarf and boots all day now!
Kentucky fall can be the best or the worsttttttttt — like the years where drought just makes the leaves die and fall off.
But, it is still THE BEST STATE EVER, so I will be loyal forever. : )
TOTALLY agree!
Pingback: I am thankful that we have to eat. | The Art in Life
Pingback: Honest October. | The Art in Life
Pingback: Five for fall. | The Art in Life
Pingback: This November | The Art in Life