Author Donna Everhart Tells Us Why Fall In North Carolina Is The Best + A Recipe

By Donna Everhart

Those of us from the South know how summer can take its sweet time relinquishing its grip on the region. Like many places, our seasonal changes can be fickle, teasing us with a quick dose of crisp, cool air one day, only to skyrocket to something akin to sweltering the next. While I love summertime, I certainly appreciate the respite from the heat, humidity, and all that comes with it – as in, goodbye and good riddance mosquitoes and gnats! It wasn’t all that long ago I begged summer to come, longed for lengthier days that allowed more time to sit on the porch while the low, distinctive hum of cicadas serenaded me into a balmy evening. After several months, I’m a feeling a little wilted by the dog days, as we call them, and I’m definitely over smelling like bug spray. 

When fall eventually arrives – and decides to stay – it’s like getting reacquainted with an old friend. I want to hug it! This transitional season brings a sense of slowing down as Mother Nature goes dormant. Fields lie fallow, the scent of fresh cut grass is long gone, as are those extended daylight hours. I think this is a perfect time of year to open windows because, unlike spring, there’s no yellow pollen to contend with! For some, there will be days mild enough to do just that. Quite honestly, after several months of air conditioning, there’s nothing more refreshing than letting in a natural cool breeze. Fall also gifts us with lower humidity, and believe me, after months of stepping into the sauna like outdoors, the air, noticeably drier, is truly welcome. 

I feel fortunate to live in North Carolina where we have the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in the western part of the state, and pristine beaches on the East coast. If one happens to be smack dab in the middle – like me – both are an easy day trip, but fall is the time when a trip to visit our gorgeous mountains is a must. Nothing could be finer than the jaw dropping views of impressive colors. A simple Google search reveals peak periods, so it’s always easy to make the best of it, but if you happened to have missed the fall foliage this year, our Piedmont area is still showcasing some extraordinary colors, as I saw the other day with this sugar maple. There’s a bit of science behind why colors are so bright one year only to be dull the next. While no one can point to a special formula per se, studies reveal a warm, rainy spring, a summer not too brutally hot, and then typical cooler days mixed with a few chilly nights (no frost) make for the best outcome. 

Recently another contributor mentioned throwing on a sweater when temperatures dip below seventy. (Hello, Karen White). We are in total agreement, because this southerner starts shivering as the mercury drops to, oh, about seventy. So, while I thoroughly enjoy the seasonal change, being cold is not my thing. This means it’s time to bring out the fall attire, which, in my opinion, is almost like having a new wardrobe. I always find items I’ve forgotten about, and what’s even better is if I caught a clearance sale at the end of last season. I often find a few pieces of clothing with the tags still on I’d completely forgot about. Surprise! It’s like receiving an early Christmas present! 

Aside from bundling up in warmer clothes, there’s something comforting in placing heavy quilts and blankets at the we can enjoy cozy evenings by a fire, inside or out. Many of us love spending time on our patios and because of the convenience of fire pits, we can continue to do so. Whether inside or outside, gas logs, or the real deal – meaning cords of wood stacked nearby – most everyone enjoys the comfort and warmth a fire brings, no matter the location. 

And, I admit it. Yes, it’s totally true. Southerners aren’t necessarily good at dealing with that white stuff that falls from the heavens, which means you’ll find me right along with everyone else in the grocery store, buying – guess what? That’s right, bread, milk and eggs at the mere mention of a dusting. Which brings to mind comfort foods. That nip in the air makes me want to get in the kitchen, and make big pots of soup, stews, or spicy chili. I also relish sipping on hot cider or hot chocolate, and, let’s not forget about all things pumpkin!

Yes! Pumpkin spice flavored products are back, and the craze has delivered some eye opening variations. For instance, I spotted this box of Frosted Flakes on the shelves last year, and concluded internet rumors were true; pumpkin spice flavors are considered for just about everything! Personally, one of my favorite pumpkin flavored foods might be what got this craze started to begin with, as in, pumpkin bread. 

I’m sharing this recipe for a version my family loves. 

The Best Ever Pumpkin Bread

Love southern fiction? Read Donna’s latest book.

In the dense pine forests of North Carolina, turpentiners labor, hacking into tree trunks to draw out the sticky sap that gives the Tar Heel State its nickname, and hauling the resin to stills to be refined. Among them is Rae Lynn Cobb and her husband, Warren, who run a small turpentine farm together.

Though the work is hard and often dangerous, Rae Lynn, who spent her childhood in an orphanage, is thankful for it–and for her kind if careless husband. When Warren falls victim to his own negligence, Rae Lynn undertakes a desperate act of mercy. To keep herself from jail, she disguises herself as a man named “Ray” and heads to the only place she can think of that might offer anonymity–a turpentine camp in Georgia named Swallow Hill.

Swallow Hill is no easy haven. The camp is isolated and squalid, and commissary owner Otis Riddle takes out his frustrations on his browbeaten wife, Cornelia. Although Rae Lynn works tirelessly, she becomes a target for Crow, the ever-watchful woods rider who checks each laborer’s tally. Delwood Reese, who’s come to Swallow Hill hoping for his own redemption, offers “Ray” a small measure of protection, and is determined to improve their conditions. As Rae Lynn forges a deeper friendship with both Del and Cornelia, she begins to envision a path out of the camp. But she will have to come to terms with her past, with all its pain and beauty, before she can open herself to a new life and seize the chance to begin again.

Purchase the Saints Of Swallow Lane.