“I have been younger in October than in all the months of spring.” [Merwin] I’m not a huge fan of poetry or W.S. Merwin, but this quote from his poem “The Love for October” came to my mind as I was deadheading my flowers this week and trying not to get stung by the still plentiful honey and bumble bees.

Of course, there’s nothing right about saying deadheading flowers or not getting stung by bees in mid-October. The weather has been milder later than usual. I have an eclectic mix in my yard of mums, pumpkins, dwarf snapdragons, geraniums, and marigolds. What has died back has yet to be pulled and tossed into the field. Merwin’s poem captures my autumn feelings.

How about you? Has living in the autumn of New England this year suited you differently? Are you enjoying the milder temps? Or are you longing for pumpkin-spiced cocoa and sweaters?

As you know, if you are a long-time reader of this column, the only thing I love about the season’s bounty of pumpkins is pie and decorating the yard with them. The years pass, and the “pumpkin spice everything” list grows. That’s just fine for those who love it–something for everyone, including the option of opting out. I favor maple pecan pie and coffee and sometimes wonder why this flavor combination has never robustly caught on.

I am biking about 20 miles a day a few times a week. The foliage has been riotous along the Maine bike trails. I’m fortunate to live, as Lucy Montgomery observed, “in a world where there are Octobers.” There are recreational trails from southern to northern Maine, on which the miles never seem long with the ever-changing scenery.

My favorite things about October in New England are the changing leaves and the smell of them transforming into food for the next generation of growth. I love long walks under canopies of waving leaves and feeling them fall, watching them swirl toward the ground and the occasional one that stops for a rest on my shoulder. Already barren trees starkly contrast Maine’s evergreens, whose shades of forest green seem even more intense as fall deepens and creeps toward winter.

One more thing I especially enjoy about New England’s Octobers is walking on the matted leaves in Maine’s woods. With most of the above-ground forest growth settling in to rest for the next few months, it’s much easier to walk between the trees, spot animal trails of those who have arrived before me, rustle up occasional partridges, and feel the soft response of the earth beneath my feet, while inhaling the last vestiges of summer.

Soon enough, winter will set in. I’ll adjust the thermostat upwards and groan at the thought of the implied bill arriving. Yet, I’ll be thankful that being warm is as simple as touching a thermostat, asking Alexa to adjust the temperature upward, or laying another fire in the fireplace. In the meantime, I will revel in being younger in October than the previous spring.