The Theater of the Seasons in Farmington - Fall

As spring struggles to warm into summer, I'm drawn to ruminate on what marks the changing seasons in my hometown of Farmington. Autumn is a series of Tiger football games, followed by pizza at B & B on Third Street. During homecoming week, trees in normally well-manicured lawns are draped with toilet paper, and the local news is filled with dire warnings about the dangers of teens carousing after the homecoming dance. Homecoming here is different than anywhere else I've lived - there is a parade downtown and the whole town attends the football game. Everyone celebrates, and I wear my Tigers sweatshirt, hoping to be mistaken for a real Farmington High alum.
The best part of fall in Farmington is the proximity to the Minnesota bluff country. Drive a bit south on Highway 61, and the scenery turns from rolling corn and soybean fields to dramatic bluffs towering above the river. The flaming leave on the trees contrast with the buff-colored outcroppings of sandstone. Ah, fall in Farmington. With the weather almost fall-like during the past few weeks, I almost expect to see a few crimson and gold trees.