The Last Gold Hour: Honoring Autumn’s Close and Welcoming Stick Season
The Last Gold Hour: Honoring Autumn’s Close and Welcoming Stick Season
The air this past weekend held a distinct finality—a crisp, crystalline clarity that signals the end of a grand chapter. Here on the Maine coast, we enjoyed what felt like the absolute Last Gold Hour of autumn. We chronicled a local adventure, a deliberate farewell to the brilliant tapestry of foliage before the landscape settles into its winter repose.
It was a necessary, soul-filling journey with Mark, honoring the season's close and finding beauty in the final, clinging leaves before what we affectionately call Stick Season officially takes over.
The Final Harvest: Simple Joys on the Byways
Our journey was all about supporting the last vestiges of the harvest. We followed the winding backroads of Southern York County, seeking out the small, honest enterprises preparing to shutter their doors until spring.
We found small roadside farm stands with their final squash and root vegetables, and tiny garden stands where the proprietors were pulling up the last of the mums. There is a quiet, humbling beauty in witnessing this transition—the careful packing away of a season’s labor. It reinforces the integrity of the cyclical New England life, where nothing is wasted and everything has its patient time. Even the local restaurants, preparing for winter hours, carried an air of cozy anticipation, promising hearthside warmth and low-key community in the quieter months ahead.
The Century-Old Anchor in Wells, Maine
The true heart of our day was a pilgrimage to a century-old farm in nearby Wells, Maine. This property, with roots dating back to the 1700s as a dairy farm, is an anchor of local heritage.
The massive, weathered barn and the surrounding property couldn't be more stunning or picturesque. We set out on the trails, inhaling the scent of pine and damp earth. Even with most leaves on the ground, the light was magnificent—golden and low, illuminating the rough texture of the ancient stone walls and the bare, elegant structure of the trees. It was a perfect encapsulation of the Country Road Chronicles mission: finding timeless beauty in the enduring architecture and natural history of a place.
Old World Charm and Golden Coastline
From the deep woods, we crossed into the architectural treasure trove of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Stepping into Portsmouth is like opening a history book. The preservation of the 18th and 19th-century architecture, framed by the last bits of autumn leaves, offered a powerful contrast to the raw nature we had just left. It’s a testament to the old-world craft and community that still exists, a tangible reminder of the Yesteryear we hold so dear.
As evening descended, we followed the coastline back into Southern York County, Maine. Hugging the shore, we embraced the Golden Hour, watching the low, warm sun turn the ocean waves and marsh grass to burnished copper. It was a deeply personal, grateful end to the day spent with Mark—a recognition that the best of life is found in these simple, shared hours.
Welcoming the Glorious Weight of Stick Season
Now, the foliage is officially complete. The bulk of the leaves are on the ground, the color is muted, and we enter what we affectionately call Stick Season.
But let us not mourn the brilliant colors. Let us be inspired by this shift.
Stick Season is New England's spiritual reset. It is the time when the dense, showy distraction of the leaves is gone, and the true, strong bones of the landscape are revealed. It is a powerful metaphor for our lives: it is the season of simplicity, clarity, and introspection. It is the perfect time for deep journaling, long hearthside evenings, and focusing inward on the values that truly anchor us.
We are entering the season of quiet resilience. Let us welcome the crisp air, the long shadows, and the simple beauty of the enduring structure. The adventure hasn't ended; it's simply gone inside.
