October is full of the intense sensory convergence of fire and rain. The fires of the trees in their vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows blaze through the hillsides. The crackling yellow of the aspen, the crisp, scarlet red of the oak, and the soft rustle of the orange sugar maple all bring the fires of the woodland to life. Bonfires for marshmallows and merriment instill us with warmth beyond what the heat can provide alone. Piles of burning leaves fill our noses with the smell of autumn and childhood memories from years past.

Then there is the rain. Berries and ripe harvest fruit rain from the trees and shrubs. Birds rain from the sky to feed on this banquet and fly south. Walnuts, hickory nuts, and acorns rain like hail on the rooftops. The vivid leaves of the forest rain down themselves in a shower of color and light. The watery rain of fall comes on the turn of the seasons and the autumnal equinox. This rain will eventually put out the fires of the forest, as the leaves fall from the branches under the weight of the water droplets. The woodlands will become bare with a charred appearance after the blaze of fall has passed. Our minds, however, will be full and variegated with the sights, smells, and sounds of another glorious autumn steeped in fire and rain.