Every season has its pros and cons, but I have to say that spring and fall are my favorites.  They are so full of life out in the natural world.  In the spring it’s new life with plants getting green again, wildflowers blooming, and animals migrating and thinking about mating.  In the fall, there is a new influx of wildflowers, and the animals and insects are busy, busy, busy preparing for winter.  Both spring and fall also bring better weather and temperatures.  This summer was excessively hot, even for Florida, so spending time outside, let alone doing something strenuous like hiking was nearly impossible.  In the middle of summer, even early mornings and late evenings were draining.  Now that fall has finally arrived, the temperatures are still warm, but they are no longer going to make you drop on the path.

Thanks to somewhat cooler weather and new wildflowers it’s time to get back out in the field again.  Like the other animals, I need to prepare for winter by taking photos now, while there’s still plenty to look at. (although decreased leaves on the trees in winter does make bird watching easier).  Fall is also a great time of year for art shows and festivals, so I like to have plenty of new work for those.  Like every season, much of what I’m photographing right now will only be available for a short time (some of our prettiest fall wildflowers have already died back), and then we’ll have to wait another year to see it again.  Fall also brings migrating birds into the area.  Some will stay all winter, but many will stay only a short time before they’re on their way again.

The other wonderful thing about fall, are the fall colors.  Although Florida is not well known for colorful fall foliage, we do get some.  It’s definitely not as brilliant as many other places, but sometimes just a touch of fall color is beautiful, too.  Last year, I spent part of the fall in Alaska and I must say everything about it, including the fall foliage, was incredible.  But when I returned to Florida, we were just starting our fall, and I noticed some similarities in the foliage colors, especially when out in the deep woods.  I spent a fair amount of time out there last year, and I plan to do the same this year.  We may not have the most fall color, but I plan to enjoy what we do get.

So, hopefully you can now understand why I love fall so much.  After being rather cooped up by the summer heat, it’s great to be getting back outside and seeing all the life coming and going.  There is something so enjoyable about getting out in the woods and just watching the birds, insects, flowers, and landscapes.  It definitely gives me new inspiration to dive into my art, which I also find wonderfully enjoyable.  Not only is fall a great time of the year for nature, but it’s also a great time of the year for nature photographers and nature inspired artists.