Fall always reminds me of fall at Aqualand. The busy season was done and the visitors were mostly folks out to see the fall colors, special tour groups and parents with kids not old enough yet for school. My sisters and I were always the first ones on and the last ones off the school bus. We got dropped off at Aqualand, where we would pilfer a little caramel corn, (which was bagged and sold in small packs to feed the geese), maybe talk Grandpa into buying us a soda pop and just settle in to chat about the day. I remember volunteering one fall to bring in pollywogs and snails for my classroom's new aquarium. First I stopped at the Musky pond, where I knew the snails lived clinging to the rocks that lined it's rim. I stuck my hand in to scoop a few out and was startled at a swift grazing along my knuckles. Pulling my hand back quickly, I looked into the pond and straight into the eyes of a hungry muskie who must have thought my fingers looked tasty.  Wow! I had my snails and I got out of there quick. Next I headed towards the deer forest, where there were pollywogs by the swarm. This late in the season, their legs were beginning grow and they would be cool to watch as they finished their development. I skipped along the path in my special new poncho. Mom had sewn it for me along with most of the rest of my new school clothes. It was red corduroy and I wore my prized possession, a Donny Osmond Fan Club pin on the lapel. Inspired by my Mom's collection of movie star autographed photos, I had written to the Osmonds and had gotten not only an autographed photo, but this pin as well. The other extremely exciting thing about my new school outfit was that the ugly black or brown lace up corrective shoes I had always had to wear for my flat feet had been replaced this year with the latest in corrective shoe styling- the buckle version. I felt so much more with it, sophisticated and hip that year. Arriving at my destination, I crouched down at the edge of the shore, leaned forward and reached to grab a fist full of the black 'wogs that were swimming there in a group. Suddenly, I felt a push against my back, and I caught my fall by plunging my hands and about half my poncho into the pond water, dropping my catch. Something was pushing me, very hard as if to shove me head first into the chilly pond. I turned my head back and could just make out the six point buck in velvet treating my red-caped back as a thing to charge, like el torro. His rounded velvet horns were not sharp, and he hadn't taken a running start, just determinedly leaned into my exposed end. I don't know if it was the color, the stranger, though many people walked among these tame deer every day,or the low target at the edge of the pond but he was pushing against me with all his might. The only way out was to jump a few steps into the pond water and dodge around him, which I did. I ran back to the gift shop in tears, for both my poncho and my brand new shoes seemed ruined now. I don't even remember the rest of the story, other than that dad helped me go and fetch the pollywogs. But I remember that cold pond water, that red poncho and those first cool shoes. When I smell the crisp air of fall I remember the feeling of being snapped at by a muskie, pushed by a buck and the humiliation of my pride. I remember the feeling of Aqualand and all the animals as the zoo yawned before a long winter's nap. In those last weeks before shut down, I harvested.  Gathering pine cones, pretty grasses and dropped feathers was easy now that there were many less visitors to compete with.

Putting plastic on the shelves of giftwares, moving the exotic birds to warm winter quarters, shutting off the water and draining the tanks.  Lights off and Aqualand was ready for the rest of the time, the time others never saw when we still fed everyday, cleaned and watered and attended to the needs of our wildlife family.  Time was spent re-painting signs, building new enclosures, parts and pieces.  The coffee break moved to the work shop- the ultimate man cave, where neighbors stopped to sit on five gallon pails and broken spoked chairs, talking of hunting, fishing, wood gathering and football. 

Fall is beautiful isn't it?  To me it seems to be hinting towards the wild, dark night of winter in the northwoods, where people are the vulnerable ones, and the weather, wild animals and woods rule supreme. Grab at the sunny warm days, celebrate the colors, sounds, smells and tastes-  and speaking of taste, enjoy some company and the wonderful taste of fall craft beer at the new form of Aqualand where the muskies don't bite and the deer don't use you as target practice... :)