Autumn is awesome!
There are
pumpkins on the side of the road for jack-o-lanterns or pies. There are
squash of so many varieties, along with gourds for decorating, corn
shocks, potatoes, cabbage, rutabagas and all of the fall vegetables
harvested and ready for eating. Fall is here and the growing season is
just about over.
This is the time for a trip into the hills to enjoy the scenic beauty.
Gone
are the days when you could drive out into the country and find corn
shocks the farmers would gladly give you. They are no longer stacked
into bundles in the field and now they are being offered for sale if you
want them for decorating your house on Halloween. Times change, the
stalks are chopped or cut in the field and taken out in wagons for
storage.
You can now take the kids and go off to the apple
orchard for your supply of apples. It’s a great family adventure
especially for the younger kids to get a ride on the apple wagon towed
by the tractor to the orchard to pick your own apples. And this is also a
great treat for the kids to go to the pumpkin field to pick out their
own pumpkin to take home and carve. Taking the children to these places
is a learning experience, one they won’t forget.
You know what is
also great? When you visit one of these outdoor trips you pack a lunch
for a “late” summer picnic. There are so many places along the roads for
you to stop for picnics. The rolling hills on Route 20 have drive-off
areas with tables if you don’t want to “rough” it and spread a blanket
for your lunch. The fall is a great time for a last summer picnic. If
you have been to the apple orchard and if they have a cider mill you
might be able to have apple cider for your beverage.
Another
family outing is to go “nutting.” If you know where there are nut trees
growing or have friends or family who can direct you to places where
gathering nuts is fun. There are trees growing along roads and for all
outward appearances belonged to those who wish to gather them. We used
to and then spread them in the upper story of our barn to dry. Many a
cold winter’s night we spent in the kitchen while my poppa cracked them
on a brick held between his knees and we kids and Mom picked the meat
out of the shell and put them in glass jars for cookies, cakes, frosting
and fudge.
Group of us gals who were into Scouts, 4-H or just
had hobbies and gathered wildflowers and weeds to dry and then either
painted for the holidays or shellac the naturals and used in our
children groups to make gifts for the holidays. Kids loved to make their
own creations for their family and relatives. Budgets were small and
the materials were free for the gathering.
Yes, fall is awesome.
The days are crisp, sunshiny and cool. The football games bring out all
those people you haven’t seen all summer. There are tailgate parties at
some of the games and you get to visit with people you haven’t seen
since last fall’s football games, and it makes you have a good feeling.
“To everything there is a season” and autumn is just one. It is one of
the beautiful times.
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