Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

As it begins to get darker earlier every day and there is crispness in the air I am looking forward to the approaching of Fall. The leaves are beginning to turn colors and the towns and villages here on the Central Oregon coast seem to look even cozier than in the midst of the summer flurry of guests and visitors who come and go. Now in the evenings the shops, stores, and restaurants beckon with inviting lights welcoming those who enter. Time moves a touch slower it feels like and soon we will be greeted with the beginning of the Fall and Winter holidays with all their colorful decorations and promotions. The rains will come and weather will dictate your wardrobe choices and heavy footwear will replace the sandals of summer. Of course on Friday nights, Saturday’s and Sundays there will be footballs in the air and the social gatherings that accompany those events are a lot of fun. Up and down the coast from Seal Rock to Mapleton the beginning of fall is often the first time many friends will see each other since the beginning of summer. With vacations, traveling, work schedules and other things people become a bit more nomadic during the good weather season. However, as Fall sets in there will be more occasions when friends and neighbors will see each other more. Attendance at school and church functions and service organizations tends to increase in the Fall with less distractions pulling folks in all directions.

Another group of people who see Fall as a great time are those who like to write and those who like to cook. I remember the late Ken Kesey speaking in Yachats at a conference on writing and he pointed out that if you are trying to be creative you should be in a room with no view. “You can’t sit and look at the ocean and expect to get any writing done”. That would explain why the cool, dark and sometimes wet Fall nights are good for sitting down and writing. No scenic sights to break your concentration. Folks who love to cook also appreciate fall since it’s a good time to start working on baking skills along with other culinary delights which will fill the house with the sweet, welcoming aromas of the Fall harvest.

But before we totally immerse ourselves in Fall activities take a bit of time to enjoy this last touch of summer and the beauty it brings to Oregon; the colorful sunsets, the smells of Fall, and the way the sunshine can warm you before night falls. Have a great Fall season!

To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net