Ah, the fall.

It’s kids with sleep in their eyes and long faces standing by the road early in the morn waiting for the bus while Mom’s wave from the living room window with smiles on their faces.

It’s cool, refreshing nights. After three months of sweltering heat and high humidity, it’s cool, refreshing nights.

It’s waking up one morn and all the Purple Martins have gone.

It’s clear skies with spectacular sunsets

Its cows looking relieved that those thousand flies they’ve been dealing with all summer long are finally beginning to leave.

It’s trees becoming magicians as they somehow exchange their greens for yellows and reds and purples and oranges. And the Red Maple and the Yellow Poplar lives up to his name.

It’s weekends of football. Friday night high school and Saturday college and Sunday pro.

It’s watching those summer tans begin to fade.

It’s this old earth starting to relax after pushing and blooming and stretching and growing these last six months.

It’s that sweet smell of peanuts in the air

It’s using the air conditioner a little less and the overcoat a little more.

It’s putting away shorts and sundresses and sunscreen and flip-flops.

It’s cotton by the road and corn in the bin and peanuts in the trailers

It’s the fall. And she’s comin’ our way.

Rex alphin is a farmer, businessman and contributing columnist for The Tidewater News. His e-mail address is rexalphin@aol.com.