a beautiful time of year...

ahhh...the down comforters are pulled close to the chin and the flannels are in full use now... crisp mornings making us all stay in bed until we MUST get up... a flip of the finger to start up the heater and i head to the door to let the dogs out... my beagle, belle, the most loved dog on the planet i believe, does her backwards walk away from the door....back down the hall...hoping to get out of going outside in the cold... i announce to her that this isn't anything yet, just wait - as she runs off back to the bedroom and jumps up on the bed, snuggling in the down....

apples galore...

this is apple season...some of you may have had your season around labor day - but in the mountains ours officially begins in october... their will be festivals over the next few weeks where you will find apples cooked in kettles over fires, cider, pies, jelly and crisps to take home... apple dunking contests, hayrides and corn mazes for the kids... the orchard trees are bursting with apples and the sweet smell of apples drift through the trees... today my neighbor and i plan to walk over to the orchard across the road and pick some apples...i will make my moms applesauce recipe and may try my hand at dumplings...

the leaves are really beginning to change, i'd say 12 more days and we will be at a full fall color change (like the picture below)...now is the time to plan to take that drive - even if it takes you a day to drive to look at the fall color, you just must - for a camera just cannot do it justice...it is just one of those things....you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it...it is much more than just looking at the beautiful colors in a picture - it is the feeling of the air too...a quietness, for all the birds have headed south...



check your calendars and see if you can make it to one of the festivals over the next few weeks - it's worth a drive to get out of the city for an afternoon...