Psalm 74:18 You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

Fall, the common name for the season wedged between scorching summer and frigid winter as a boundary separating the extremes. Autumn is its formal name. Most of us prefer its common name, as common is comfortable and without pretense. Fall is quite unpretentious.

Unlike summer and winter which bring with them their hot and cold temperatures, fall is moderate in temperature. Yes, moderate temperature, but not without a few warmer days peppered among the moderate to cool. We bask in those days, face to the sun, eyes closed, with the expression of full enjoyment on our faces.

For many who struggle with the heat of summer, fall has become a favorite season. They look forward to this in-between season as one looks forward to a cool drink after a long walk. Others see fall as a short slide into a long, cold, harsh winter. Fall cannot be enjoyed simply for itself because the anticipation of next season is like a black cloud of impending doom looming largely over them. Fall’s joys are stolen by the worry and dread of the future.

As each season brings with it its own brand of artistry and appeal, fall brandishes its own unique beauty. No other season produces such a spectacular array of tree color. Leaf peepers flock to the north to view fall’s reds, yellows and oranges displayed as a blanket across the landscape of hills, mountains and countryside. It’s glory satisfies the beholder.

But alas, as even the fairest of women, fall’s beauty wanes as its season draws closer to winter. Fall rains and winds strip the leaves from the trees. Acorns and pine cones drop to the earth leaving a harvest of provisions for tree and forest dwellers. The last vegetables have been harvested and the apples have been plucked from the trees. Its comfortably predictable.

Fall; Moderate, colorful, fruitful, predictable and seemingly sage. Such admirable attributes! If I were a season I should like to be fall.