Autumn has to be my favorite season. One of the great things about
living in New England is that it has four distinct seasons. Last year,
at this point, it was still wicked hot. I remember taking the girls
apple picking and it was still in the mid 90's. They were wearing
shorts and short sleeves and were sweating. It was very un-fall like.
And the weather went right from super hot, to downright freezing last
year. There was not "fall".
This year, already, the temperature
has been seasonable. It's chilly in the morning - which means the girls
need to wear a sweater or light jacket. By mid-day, the temperatures,
while only reaching the mid to high 70's, have been very warm. In the
morning, I love feeling the chill on my arms as I head out for my
morning walk. I know, that by the time I finish, the temperature will
have changed considerable. I love seeing the low lying fog, the
Monarch's lazily flying around. To smell the cool crisp air with a hint
of wood smoke. As the season progresses, the wood smoke will increase.
This
week, the girls are going apple picking with school. I've already put
mums and scarecrows in the front of the house. Already, we've seen the
leaves start to change. In lower New England, the peek leaf peeping
times are usually early October.
The girls have been excited.
They've been saying "it's fall, it's time to go to the fairs! It's time
to go to the farms!" And they are right. New England has scores of
agricultural fairs throughout the season. And while we missed the two
big one's nearby, we may still try to fit in a trip to the Big E. And
farms - I believe they mean for apple picking. And hay rides. We tend
to try and go apple picking a few times in he fall if we can. And while
were at it, we pick up mums, pumpkins, gourds, fresh apple cider and
candy apples. Thankfully, we have a few apple orchards nearby!
Another
fall favorite is the ever popular corn maze. We have a few small one's
nearby, but none can compare to the one at Lyman Orchards. If your in
the area, I highly recommend checking it out.
If you've visited
my blog regularly you'll know that my family loves hiking. Autumn is a
great time to go. Although we didn't hit the woods as much as I wanted
to this summer, I hope we can get in a few hikes before winter. Towards
the end of October, I'll usually drag my girls out into the woods to
capture a holiday picture. Last year, I got some great shots of my
girls out in the woods.
Another great fall activity we enjoy is
just grabbing our camera, hoping in the car and driving to points
unknown. We usually wake up at the crack of dawn, give the kids a
yogurt drink and some "trail mix" (a bag of mixed cereal, sometimes
with mini marshmallows, peanuts and/or M&M's). We then pick a back
road and head off for the day. We stop at cemeteries, roadside streams,
trails and other points that interest us. We take pictures and enjoy
the crisp weather. At some point, we'll stop for coffee and hot
chocolate. Then we'll find a small stand for lunch and keep driving
until we feel it's time to head back.
Fall is full of memories.
Husband and I got married in the fall - we had an outside reception,
overlooking the hills in CT. It was perfect. Although it's a time where
plants start to die back, it still gives me a kind of mental awakening.
Time slows down. We settle back into routines. School in the morning.
Soccer three evenings a week. Soccer Saturdays - with games starting at
9:00am. Homework. Crock pot stews on those days where it just feels
right. Despite which seems like a hectic schedule, I feel more relaxed.
More rejuvenated. I know there is plenty to do to prepare for winter,
yet, I find work comes easier.
Even though you're probably still
adjusting to heading back to school, I highly recommend you spend some
time outside. Visit a farm stand, state fair or apple orchard. Bake
breads, cook stews and enjoy the waning days of sunlight. Before we
know it, the sun will be setting by the time the kids step off the
school bus. We'll be confined inside for many hours of the day.
Cross-posted at Whirlwind
