Considering my name is Autumn, I suppose it would be rather embarrassing if summer were my favorite season.

Luckily, my parents chose well, because I absolutely love this time of year. The cooler mornings, the changing leaves, the sweaters, the smell of woodsmoke in the air. I love all of it, and living in New England only makes it better.

I’ve also come to realize that everyone has their own way of celebrating the season, and some people take it much more seriously than others.

There are people who have been waiting since July to wear their favorite sweaters, people who consider apple picking an annual obligation, and those who somehow manage to turn their front porches into elaborate pumpkin displays worthy of a magazine. Meanwhile, I’m over here admiring every pretty leaf I find on the ground as though I’ve never seen one before.

And of course, living in New England means having approximately seventeen conversations a week about the foliage. Is it early this year? Is it late? Was it better last October? Nobody seems to agree, but we all have an opinion.

I think that’s part of what makes autumn so much fun. We all have our little rituals, whether it’s baking something with cinnamon, making a big pot of soup, driving around looking at trees, or simply finding a good excuse to stay home on a chilly evening.

So I thought I’d put together a little field guide to the people you meet in autumn. A collection of familiar characters I’ve noticed over the years. I’m fairly certain I belong to at least four categories myself.

Have a look and tell me which one you are. And if I’ve missed a particularly important autumn species, please let me know. There’s always room for another entry in the field guide.

With love,

Autumn

© 2026 Autumn Rosewood. Original artwork. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce, redistribute, modify, or use this illustration without prior written permission.