The Fabulousness of Fall

I'm a born and bred New Englander, so I'm practically required by law to love fall. But even if I weren't, I would still love fall. I love the smells, I love the colors, I love the food, I love the coziness. So if you're some kind of Autumnal Scrooge who doesn't understand the love of all things autumn, here are a few of the wonderful things that make autumn so spectacular to me.

Going to a Farm

Sure, packing up the kids and heading to the local orchard to pick apples or pumpkins is great fun, but farms around here have so much more than that! Especially in the fall, farms are practically amusement parks and zoos as well as actual farms. A trip to the farm means hay rides, bouncy houses, petting all kind of animals from alpacas to yaks, caramel apples and cider donuts, playgrounds, and go-karts. You can easily spend the day. And the best part is that most of the time the parents can sit and relax while the kids race around having fun and tiring themselves out. Win-win.

Cozy Clothes

 

Skirts are longer and looser and paired with tall boots instead of toe-baring sandals. No need to shave your legs, paint your toenails, or lose those last few stubborn pounds. Bulky sweaters and loose tunics will hide all your summer indiscretions. Layers of sweaters, scarves, and jackets are the order of the day. Everything is mix and match, so your wardrobe stretches even further.

Everything Smells Good

Fall brings with it all kinds of new smells, from that heavy, earthy, peaty scent of fall planting to the smoky tang of fireplaces and fire pits to the warm comforting smell of pies and casseroles baking. There's a certain richness and warmth to the smells of fall that brings a mental coziness along with the physical coziness.

The Colors

Colors all around become darker, richer, and more saturated in the fall. The leaves, yes, but even the fruits, the decorations, the clothing...everything leans toward jewel tones that light up in that golden quality that sunlight takes on this time of year. Speaking of which...

The Sunlight

There's something special about autumn sunshine. Maybe it's that the warmth it brings burns through crisper air and is more appreciated because of it; maybe it's that the low angle of the sun's rays somehow narrows the spectrum to highlight the golden hues; maybe it's just that we're squinting against the glare. But whatever it is, it's like Mother Nature has the Midas Touch for just an instant, and everything within her view gloriously turns to gold for one brief moment in time.

The Flavors

I know, I know, "Pumpkin Spice Everything." But it's not just pumpkin spice; it's pumpkin and apple and caramel and cinnamon and cranberry and ginger and maple and nutmeg and walnuts. There are certain flavors that only come out to play in the fall, and no matter who you are, there are fall flavors that you love. (Even if it's not pumpkin spice.)

Going Outside

(Disclaimer: This is a stock photo, not my kid. Always wear a helmet. Safety first.)

In my neck of the woods, summer is often too hot to send the kids outside to play for too long at a time (unless they're swimming in the pool). But autumn is perfect weather for working up a sweat biking or skateboarding or hiking or jumping in leaf piles, either as a family or sending the kids off on their own.

Togetherness

Sure, we spend the daylight hours outside, together or apart, in the fall, but the evenings see the whole family scurrying back inside for warmth and light. It's too cool and too dark to keep playing or working outside, so we all drift back in, cuddling together under blankets, cozying together in the kitchen or the living room, somehow gravitating together for safety as our ancestors did when the cold weather set in.


So those are a few of the things that make fall so special to me. I'm ready for the cool weather, the falling leaves, the changing colors. I'm ready for pumpkins on doorsteps and mums in the garden and frost on the windshield. I've got my boots and my blankets and my pumpkin spice everything. So bring on fall - I'm ready!