Fall colors
When I think of fall, I think of going back to school, and of changes in the weather: there isn’t as much sun, and we need to start putting on sweaters and coats again. But fall is beautiful, too, because nature is so colorful then: yellow, orange, maroon, brown and red. Fall leaves turn the forests into a kaleidoscope of colors before they fall from the trees, burying the green of spring, that seems to get swallowed up and disappear. In fall, the air takes on a strange soft smell of damp earth. Sort of like in the garden after it rains. Sometimes, it reminds me of the smell in a dusty basement where people keep bicycles and boxes of old clothes.

Grilled chestnuts and other treats
Some other fall smells are more surprising. In the city, people sell grilled chestnuts in the street. They smell a little bit sweet, but not too much. It’s more like they just smell nice and warm! That’s called a smoky smell. It does smell kind of like smoke from a barbecue, or a fire in the fireplace. Yum! A fire in the fireplace smells really nice when it’s cold outside, but you have to be careful not to burn anything… including your fingers! There are other nice things to smell and taste in fall, like apples and pears. And of course, everybody loves pumpkins. You can carve one up as a jack o’ lantern for Halloween, or make a sweet and spicy pumpkin pie. Some people make pumpkin bread, and even pumpkin soup. It sounds weird, but it’s delicious!