Fall thoughts

I love the fall.

I grew up in the Valley of the Sun (the Phoenix area) where fall is about two hours long. One minute, the mulberry trees had leaves, the next minute, they were all on the lawn.

Fall in the North Georgia mountains is different. It meanders in, teasing first with a day or two of cooler weather in early September. I can count on each of my family members coming to me with a big grin, saying, "Oh, I feel fall in the air!" Never mind that it's September 5. When I just smile and tell them, "Don't pack up those summer clothes just yet," they call me a fun-sucker.

But come October, fall decides to come in earnest. Each day, we look for a tinge of color on the leaves. The dogwoods, my favorites, begin to turn first. {Dogwoods are just beautiful in every season.} The sun is slower to rise, and the mornings are crisp. And coffee just tastes better.

I get the urge to visit antique stores and craft festivals (probably a hangover from the years Jeff used to hunt on weekends). AnnaKate wants to bake; Jared wants to stay in the woods until dark-thirty. Christopher likes to wear sweaters (with flip-flops). And Jeff wants to build a fire in the fireplace.

We all look forward to our annual fall pilgrimage to Burt's Farm for pumpkins and pumpkin muffins, and Hillcrest Orchards for apples, apple cider, and apple donuts ("Welcome to Hillcrest!"). When our kids were younger, we'd picnic at Amicalola Falls and let the kids and the cousins wade in the creek until their little feet turned blue. Now that they are older, they prefer to wander around the Dahlonega square, sampling fudge and seeing what treasures they can find in the shops. One year, we watched the Blue Ridge Rifles run through their precision rifle drills at The Military College of Georgia.

In the fall, we're back in our school groove. We're thinking toward family get-togethers. We're more intentional about being thankful.

I love the fall.


What do you enjoy about fall?