Autumn reflections
By RUSS PEARSON
A wave of cool air swept into the Yadkin River Valley this past weekend...a welcome change from the long, hot summer. The change signaled the beginning of the fall season. Autumn, as fall is otherwise known, officially begins next week, on Sept. 23; it’s my favorite time of year.
Overnight this past weekend, the daily high temperature dropped some 20 degrees, from the low 80s to the low 60’s; what had been the daily lows suddenly became the daily highs, at least for a few days. For this Brushy Mountain resident, the change could not come too soon...the heat of this past summer had wilted my sagging spirits; I was more than ready for some climate relief.
There are a number of reasons to love the autumn season. Fall air has a unique feeling... other seasons just don’t compare. Cool, brisk mornings that gradually warm to mild, even balmy afternoons...days that begin with us sporting sweaters, before gradually transitioning to long-sleeve shirts or blouses.
The cooler air clears out the lazy, lingering haze of summer...haze that partially obstructs the marvelous views from “Brushmont,” my mountaintop domain. The clear autumn air opens vast vistas of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains across the scenic Yadkin river valley...views that include Grandfather Mountain., Mount. Jefferson and Stone Mountain.
The turning of the leaves is yet another spectacular reason to love the fall. Here on the Brushies, with its temperate climate, the annual transition of foliage from greens to yellows, reds, oranges and magentas is as dazzling as found anywhere; just one more reason I love where I live in this, my autumn season of life. Fall is also an annual treat for photographers...amateurs like me as well as professionals.
The approach of autumn also signals the beginning of the football season. While baseball still claims to be the “National pastime,” (which it may still be up north), for sports fans here in the south and mid-Atlantic states, football and NASCAR still rule the roost.
Football teams are plentiful, ranging from Pee Wee and Pop Warner leagues to high school, college and pro teams. As for me, I happen to prefer college football, in part because of its unequalled pageantry and the unparallel excitement of its supporters, including alumni and other non-affiliated fans...pageantry including serious tailgating not present in other American sports.
North Carolina is especially blessed to be home to some of the finest college football teams in the nation, and several other leading college teams located just out-of-state. ACC teams like The “Tarheels” of UNC Chapel Hill; the “Wolfpack” of NC State; the Wake Forest “Demon Deacons” and the “Blue Devils” of Duke University.
Just across our northern border live the” Hokies” of Virginia Tech and the “Cavaliers” of the University of Virginia, while those vicious Clemson “Tigers” rule the turf around Greenville, S.C., just across our southern boundary.
Then there are those “Yellow Jacket” clad “Rambling Wrecks” from Georgia Tech, just a few hours’ drive south to Atlanta, and I dare not forget those “Terrapins” from the University of Maryland, located a relatively short drive north on I-95 to College Park, MD.
Much of the ACC’s recent rise in the college football ranks can be attributed to Wilkes County native and fellow Wilkes Central graduate, John Swofford. John is the current Commissioner of the ACC. Among other major contributions to the ACC, John’s strong leadership has brought Florida State, Boston College and the University of Miami into the expanded conference, in addition to Virginia Tech.
But wait, there is more to college football in North Carolina than just the big name, Division I schools...there are other exciting North Carolina college football teams in other conferences... teams like the nearby Appalachian State “Mountaineers” in beautiful Boone, perennial champions in the Southern Conference; the “Phoenix” of Elon and the “Eagles” of Carolina Central out of the Southern Conference and the “Bulldogs” of Gardner Webb in the Big South Conference. Or how bout them “Pirates” from East Carolina University down east in Greenville, NC; the “Pirates” are always strong contenders in Conference U.S.A.
Closer to home, fans can root for teams in the South Atlantic Conference like the Lenoir-Rhyme “Bears” in Hickory or the Catawba College “Indians” in Salisbury, or the Davidson College “Wildcats,” in Davidson, NC. Even some of the area’s former junior colleges, (now senior colleges) including Brevard (“Tornados”) and Mars Hill (“Lions”), have added football to their athletic curricula...two small, church sponsored schools, located in the beautiful mountains near Asheville.
Take my word for it ... there is no better way to spend a warm, fall afternoon or evening tailgating with friends and family, and then sitting in the stands with thousands of colorful fans rooting for their Alma Mater or just their favorite college football team. The excitement is contagious and the camaraderie is instantaneous. Whether your team wins or loses, the game itself gives you something to talk about all next week, in addition to the usual table topics of sex, politics and religion.
What did you say? Which team(s) do I root for? Glad you asked. During my 26 year Navy career, our family lived 17 of those years in the state of Florida. During that time, our son Steve (and much of our money) went to the private and athletically independent University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Fla. During those years in the mid to late 1980s, the independent “Canes” twice won the coveted Division I National NCAA Championship. Since then, the “Canes” have joined the expanded Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and for teams in that conference, I remain a loyal fan of the Miami “Hurricanes,” especially when they play their “wide right” archrivals, the Florida State (FSU) “Seminoles.”
Later, both Steve and his younger sister, Claire (along with still more of our money) went to the University of Georgia (UGA), a Southeast Conference (SEC) school in Athens, Ga. Their decisions to attend UGA left us little choice than to become fans of the Georgia BULLDAWGs. We go to as many DAWG games as we can; it also gives us a chance to see our grandchildren.
However, there is a family dilemma. After attending UGA, daughter Claire married UGA alum William Perry, arguably the DAWG’s most die-hard football fan. Claire and William never miss a UGA football game, at home or away. Along the way, they have given us two delightful grandchildren, Max and Lila Tate.
Meanwhile, son Steve earned a Master’s degrees in English Literature at UGA followed by a second Master’s in Far Eastern Literature at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, N.M. He then returned to UGA for a PhD in Comparative Literature.
Ironically, Dr. Steve is now an instructor in the Department of English at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. Like UGA, UT is also an SEC football school. In fact, the two schools are long-time rivals dating back to pre-historic times ...back when players were considered “sissies” if they wore pads or helmets while playing the game. Aha, did I hear you say you see the family’s “dilemma”? It happens every fall when Tennessee and Georgia play each other in football.
For whom do I root on those divisive occasions? Well the answer is simple...I wait until the game ends and then claim I was rooting for the winning team all along...I really do hate to lose.
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