BY: RACHEL WUMKES
I’m not sure how it creeps up on me each year. I’ve been on this great Earth for 40 trips around the sun (yikes) and every year, when the end of September hits and people begin talk of the Autumnal Equinox, it dawns on me that the season has somehow slid into Fall on the down-low.
Like the sneaky fox you see gallivanting around Clear Lake, it slipped in without any fanfare or hoopla. There was no sounding of the horn or announcement written in the sky. Nope. It seems we all just woke up one morning and the leaves had turned. The crisp air biting at our cheeks as we ushered our kiddos off to school.
Now, it’s not a secret that I love summer. I mean, how could you not when you live at the Lake? Summer is LIFE around here. But I must admit Fall ranks high atop my list of Midwest Seasons.
Some will argue that even though today marks the Autumnal Equinox (we’ll get to more about that in a moment) it’s not actually Fall. In the Midwest, the weather seems to be a bit wishy-washy this time of year, making each day a crap-shoot.
Will it be warm? Will I need a jacket? Will I sweat my face off this afternoon?
You just never know!
Okay, so now for the scientific, informational portion of the blog post today. The part where you can learn something and then show off to all your friends later how intelligent you are with the wide plethora of knowledge you possess.
The fall equinox arrives on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 9:31 A.M. EDT. The equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide. During the equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator”—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line. When the Sun crosses the equator from north to south, this marks the autumnal equinox.
In a nutshell – day and night are basically equal. While there may be a slight variance given the time it takes for the sun to actually rise and set each day, for the most part, they are equal. It’s also the official start to Fall, even though some will argue it starts much earlier based on temperature cycles.
Another old wives tale is that on this day, you can balance an egg on end.
Now… y’all remember this fun little trick the whole world did last spring with the balancing of the brooms? I do. Mostly because it seemed to open a portal into another dimension where we live in a global pandemic and have all our fun stuff cancelled.
So, let’s maybe be a bit careful with the egg balancing today, okay? Not to sound super-crazy and irrationally superstitious but given the results we’ve produced from type of thing in 2020, I’d rather not risk it!
All joking aside, the change of season from summer to fall is surely one to behold in North Iowa. As the leaves begin to crinkle and turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red, it’s a good time to reflect on our lives. Given the tumultuous atmosphere 2020 has brought on for many of us, I am thankful to see time continue to march on. Taking each day as it’s given, thankful for my health and happiness, but mostly for the fact that my children are back in school. With so many unknowns in the future, I will gladly take any day I can get and live it to the fullest.
So, happy Fall Y’all. Enjoy this beautiful season at the Lake!