Today is Mountain Day.

If you're a Smithie- today is Mountain Day.

For the rest of the world, today is the surprise day off. The president decides on a day, usually in October and before October Break, when classes are spontaneously cancelled, the library is closed, and everyone is go out an actually enjoy themselves in the New England fall. The day is announced without warning, as the bells begin to chime before 8 am (when I was there, they usually rang out about 7 am)- and that was that. No classes. No library. No computer lab. Instant Day Off.

My four glorious mountain days were all spent in the mountains around Northampton. There were several nice spots to just hike around, find a nice spot under the changing leaves, and sleep. One year my beau and I drove to Maine. I can still see the mountains alive with color and the big maple leaves drifting down around me. There is nothing like New England in the fall. Nothing at all.

We all need a Mountain Day. I'm not likely to get one, but we should all the same. Wake up and declare a National Holiday. Take the kids somewhere with apples and animals and pumpkins and cider, cool breezes and bright leaves and plenty of space to run. Someplace that sells candles and fruit and crafts and quilts. Somewhere the scent of cider and leaves blends with woodsmoke and maple syrup. Yes, indeed.

Happy Mountain Day.