Tomorrow marks the first day of Fall, are you ready?

This year has been completely crazy. Is it just me or did spring and summer fly by too fast? One of my friends just informed me tomorrow marks the first day of Fall, one of my favorite times of the year. Why, you ask, would a time when dreary rainy days, cold temperatures and enormous amounts of leaves finding their way into the yard, be a wonderful time? Having spent my first 18 years on an island off the coast of Florida, where there is absolutely NO changing of seasons at all, (I guess you could count when it gets a bit cold and everything turns brown, and then green in spring, brown and burned in summer and then more brown for winter, a seasonal change..) when I finally lived in places like Tennessee and Ohio, where brilliant oranges, reds and yellows seem to explode across the trees, I was instantly in awe of the awesome splendor of God's creation.

 New and wonderful smells seem to charm the very essence of your being when Fall comes. Out come the Pumpkin Latte's, spiced apple cider and corn mazes. The smell of burning leaves wafts pleasantly on the cool, crisp morning air, with the promise of roasted marshmellows and hot chocolate to warm the chilly evenings. Close your eyes and you can almost hear the sweet whisper of the wind as it swirls the leaves in an endless waltz of glorious colors.
 My favorite Fall sound is the laughter of children and adults alike, when all the leaves have been raked into huge piles and the first adventurer takes a running start to begin the fun of leaf pile smashing! So much fun to be had and such little time to do it in before the snows come.

So this Fall, make sure to take full advantage of ALL the wonderful local activities around you such as corn mazes, taffy pulls, late season farmer's markets and harvest parties. The memories will keep you warm on winter's coldest days.