The autumnal equinox took place on September 22, marking the end of summer and the start of fall across the Northern Hemisphere. Autumn is the season of harvests, festivals, migrations, winter preparations, and of course, spectacular foliage. Across the north, people are beginning to feel a crisp chill in the evening air, leaves are reaching peak color, apples and pumpkins are being gathered, and animals are on the move. Collected here are some early images from this year's autumn -- more will come later as the season unfolds.
Fall Is in the Air
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Four year old William Orton of Harrogate leans on a giant pumpkin during the first day at the Autumn flower show in Harrogate, northern England, on September 13, 2013. The annual three day event features show gardens, flower displays, Giant vegetables, expert gardening and cooking advice and demonstrations. #
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Foliage is at peak in the Crawford Notch area of New Hampshire's White Mountains, as seen in this view of Frankenstein Cliff, viewed from the 3,119 ft. summit of Mt. Crawford on October 5, 2013. #
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Apples wait to be picked in an orchard at Stocks Farm in Suckley, near Worcester in Worcestershire, England, on October 8, 2013. According to English Apples and Pears, the fruit growers' trade association, the unusual combination of a late spring and hot summer has made this year's English crop the latest for a generation. #
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Bavarian farmers transport their cows on a boat over the picturesque Lake Koenigssee, on October 5, 2013. Before the winter season approaches, the farmers have to drive their cattle down from their Alpine meadows to a narrow valley that can only be reached by boat. #
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A child dresses as a werewolf at the Shocktober Fest at Tulleys Farm on October 5, 2013 near Crawley, West Sussex. Each October thousands attend the United Kingdom's biggest Halloween themed attraction which includes six different haunted attractions and rides. #
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Young vampires take part in a world record attempt at the Shocktober Fest at Tulleys Farm near Crawley, West Sussex, on October 5, 2013. The event set a new UK record for the biggest gathering of vampires, but missed out on breaking the world record. #
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A tourist (lower left) climbs on the rock named "The First Stolb" (the First Pillar) at the Stolby national nature reserve outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on October 2, 2013. Picturesque rocky blocks rising above the Taiga draw attention of tourists from all over Russia and abroad. #
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A grape harvester walks through a steep field crossed by a small monorail (used to haul grapes and equipment) in the village of Manarola, in Italy's "Cinque Terre" region, on September 23, 2013. #
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Visitors Kathrin and her daughter Sophie walk past a display meant to look like the Matterhorn and decorated entirely with 30,000 locally-grown pumpkins and squash at the Spargelhof Buschmann & Winkelmann farm in Klaistow, Germany, on October 1, 2013. #
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Tourists and Venetians stand on walkways during the first "Acqua Alta" of the season in Venice, Italy, on October 7, 2013. The high tide, or acqua alta as it is locally known, is a natural event most commonly affecting the city during Autumn and Winter. #
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Hoarfrost covers leaves in the village of Zabar, 137 km northeast of Budapest, Hungary, on October 4, 2013. The country reached a new record low for the day, of minus 9.4 degrees in Zabar, more than 4 degrees lower than the previous daily record. #
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