Autumn Odes and Puzzles

We have been in a stretch of perfect autumnal weather: chilly nights, clear days, before the time change so we still have plenty of time to enjoy this perfect October time. As I drove down the Cumberland Highway on Saturday, I was struck by how many small towns had piled pumpkins around the "Welcome to ______ " signs. Pumpkins and hay bales and perhaps a scarecrow that wouldn't scare a soul.It's not the perfect leaf viewing season, however. Yesterday I stood on the back deck and stared up at the trees, and I was startled to realize how thin the leaf canopy is. Many trees dropped their leaves before attaining full autumnal glory--and many trees are still fairly green in leaf.When we first moved to South Florida, I didn't realize how different the seasons would be. I didn't miss winter much, and summers seemed similar to South Carolina, but every year I had a fierce yearning for fall. One year we bought two puzzles, and I still remember the one with the autumnal picture. It was a…