Driving During Rut Season

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The moment I stepped out to get in the car this morning, I knew it was peak leaf season. It's not just the brilliant colors, though they are undeniably the stars of the show, it's the whole experience. The colors, our seasonal county fairs, the food, and the decor are all festive.

It’s that crisp, clean air that smells faintly of wood smoke and decaying leaves, and the silence broken only by the crunch of my boots on the gravel path while walking with my camera. In the distance I hear wild turkeys gathering and calling.  Yesterday I spent hours editing photos and writing this post, while trying to correct an error my efforts suddenly vanished and I had to start all over. My original post was a bit more creative but I will try again!

​If you know me you know my absolute love of this time of year. I’ve been driving along the back roads of New Hampshire this week and honestly, photos just don't do it justice, there is so much to take in. The entire landscape looks like a painting set ablaze. You have the fiery reds of the sugar maples next to the deep, the bright yellow gold of the birches, all set against the dark green of the pines. It feels other worldly, almost overwhelming. Every hilltop, every winding river, every street is bursting with color.

​There’s an age old tourist industry built around "leaf-peeping" here, but the magic of it is surprisingly personal. I found a tiny general store in a town nearby and I bought a seasonal treat called a hot cider doughnut. It’s a cake-like treat covered in cinnamon sugar that practically melts in your mouth. Sitting in the car watching the wind send a shower of crimson and orange leaves spiraling down, I felt perfectly still and utterly content. Autumn for me is a lifelong friend I embrace once a year. 

The whole fall season is a masterclass lesson in letting go. These trees put on their most dazzling display just before they shed it all. It’s a bittersweet kind of beauty, but mostly just beauty. If you’ve never experienced the New England fall, please, make the trip. I promise, you won't see nature put on a better show. October also ushers in “the rut.” Rut season is when the male moose and whitetail deer are aggressive and in search of mates. The darker side to this time of year is drivers need to be extra vigilante when driving as the animals tend to suddenly run out onto roads and highways as they are moving around. This month also begins the regional hunting season, so if you’re planning on wandering into a forest you must wear something bright orange along with dogs you may walk. In my experience it’s best to stick to the marked hiking paths. 

There is a long history of collisions between the large moose and vehicles and when one occurs it’s often fatal for both driver and the animal. Moose are tall, can weigh up to 1600 pounds, and blend in well when on the road due to their coloring. Hitting one at highway speeds flips it directly through a car windshield like a missile. My husband's car is sporting its own indentation from a minor highway deer encounter last year. It wont be long now until the snow flies and the palette turns white again with a whole new beauty. The cold winter temperatures aren’t kind to an aging body so I’ll just sit here and enjoy the lingering warmer weather while we have it. My next post won't be autumn related I promise. 

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