Falling in NH

It's true that the post title is somewhat misleading. No, it doesn't refer to an accident. Instead it refers to the only season known by two names — autumn 🍁 or fall🍂. 

Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH

It's my favorite season by any name. Many others, like myself, seem to use the names interchangeably.

So, I wondered, is there any difference in referring to this season by either word ?

This photo with muted colors was straight out of camera (SOOC), no effects

The answer is no. They are used interchangeably to describe the time of year between summer and winter when temperatures start to decline. However, autumn is considered a more formal name for the season.

It turns out, this is another example of American English versus British English use. Americans (and Canadians) are said to use “fall” as it is simpler, but the those across the pond are known favor autumn because it is more regal and Latin.

By whatever name is used, the seasonal colors are lovely

Autumn is a relatively newer addition to the English language compared to “fall.” It wasn’t until the 1800s that British English began using autumn more. It's taken from the French, automne, which goes back to the Latin autumnus. the root of which means the passing of the year. 

Fall is thought to be a deviation of the Old English words fiaell and feallan, both of which mean to fall from a height. Most likely, the word fall comes from the fall of the leaves or falling of the leaves, phrases often used in poetry. 

Muted orange and brown are favorite seasonal colors

As if having two words describe the same season wan't enough, there's yet another contender.

Both autumn and fall were once known as harvest, technically the earliest name for this season. This term was somewhat confusing. That's because it not only referred to the time when people usually harvested crops, but also the actual harvesting of the crops.

Multi-color leaves last week in Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH

It’s unclear why America usage favors fall over autumn. Some speculation is that has to do with daylight savings time when (most) U.S. states spring forward, and fall back.

This past weekend on a beautiful day (by any word), I spent time in Mine Falls Park. This 325-acre park of forest, river, and wetlands is located here in Nashua, NH. Its name derives from the 1700s, when low quality lead was supposedly mined from the island below the falls. 

Canal view in Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH

The Nashua River and Nashua Canal both cut right through the park. In the early 1800s, the Nashua Manufacturing Company built the canal to channel water from the river downstream to a dam, creating a crucial power source for the mills. Workers used shovels and mules to dig a three-mile long canal, part of which is shown in the above photo.

Part of Millyard view from Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH

Mine Falls Park has a network of some 9.7 miles of various forested trail types. It's a wonderful outdoors experience here in the state of New Hampshire’s second-largest city. There's an entrance within walking distance of the mill apartments where we live, formerly home to the Nashua Manufacturing Company. (FYI all the photos in this post were taken with a digital camera vs. cell phone—an Olympus Tough, all weather camera, max zoom 4X.)

Colors are not quite yet at peak in Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH

Unlike some of the more northern areas of New England, colors here are not yet at full peak. That should be changing rapidly over the next couple of weeks. I'm planning more park walks. Of course, you're all welcome to return for a visit and view them in a future post.

After I shared this draft post with Grenville, he reminded me that autumn is foremost in the title of two popular songs, which you may recall—before or after reading this post. 

Autumn in New York, composed by Vernon Duke in Westport, CT, in the summer of 1934, became a popular song and jazz standard, first performed in the Broadway musical Thumbs Up! (December 1934). The only version to achieve chart success was sung by Frank Sinatra. Over the years, versions have been recorded by Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Stan Kenton, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall and Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald as a duet.

Autumn Leaves, another song and jazz standard, was composed in 1945 by Joseph Kosma with original lyrics by Jacques Prévert in French, titled Les Feuilles mortes, and later in English by American lyricist Johnny Mercer. An instrumental version by pianist Roger Williams was a no. 1 best-seller in the Billboard charts of 1955. Other singers like Bing Crosby, Doris Day and Frank Sinatra have recorded it, but a version by Nat King Cole remains a popular standard.

Which of these is your favorite or do you have another? 

You're quite welcome for the earworms.