By Shannon Williams
The first time I came to Crystal Beach was in the fall, and I fell in love! Well I came because I was falling in Love (again, as we really fell in love when I was 15 and Paul was 17, many years ago). Fall has always been my favorite season, the first night you get to open the windows to sleep at night. That smell of the air on a crisp fall morning, it is just a great time of year and fall on The Bolivar Peninsula is just the best type of fall you can have! I have seen the New England Fall, in all its glory, it is so colorful, and breathtaking, but fall here is more than just the change of seasons. It slows down, we get out more, as the humidity settles down, the gulf is not so angry and the fear of storms is fading. Our visitors come to watch the birds and just take in a long morning of beach combing. If it was not for those darn mosquitos, you could drink it in. I think it is more than the cool temperatures; it is the gatherings, the school events. In BC (before Covid times), there are festivals every weekend. The festivals bring street eating (I think that should be an Olympic sport!!) German food, Italian food and my favorite the Greek Festival. A chance for all of us to get a glance and taste of cultures of all kinds. Just being outside and taking a stroll, greeting people who are doing the same thing makes fall just so much fun.

Then there is the start of all the Arts and Crafts Fairs, seeing what some clever person came up, that I just have to have to decorate my home for the season. Halloween comes to life and we delight in both young and old dressing up and eating candy, what more could you want! Oh, I know a chilidog; I love a good chilidog at a fair or festival, just taste better eaten outside on the street. We just seem to catch our breath from the summer and how fast paced it is, and take time just to sit, look and listen to the world of the Gulf Coast. I know it will be different this year, BUT it will still be fall and we should find ways to embrace it in every way.

I had planned to fly to the east coast this week and to get back on the road for work, but plans changed; while I will miss the season out there, it really has nothing on us and all that we have here. A ride on the beach brings out sights, smells, and sounds that only we have. Many island communities really do not have a fall, I am so glad that we have one here. Who else has a flounder run! (Oh, I love to stuff a flounder with cornbread dressing!) and while we shall miss the Harvest Moon Regatta, we know it will return and we can watch them all sail out and cheer them on. So take time to fall in love with a gulf coast fall this year, just because we are keeping our distance, we do not have to keep our distance from Mother Nature.

[Oct-5-2020]