Musings

I've updated the look of my blog for autumn. This is my favorite season. I like "autumn" better than "fall". Not sure why, maybe it's more poetic, but to me it speaks of the season better than simply "fall". That just sounds flat to my ears.

We live far enough north that our trees have already started to change. I love the colors and the cool, crisp air. Not too hot for running at any time of day. Not so cold you need heavy winter gear. A light sweater or jacket and you're out the door. Even rain in the autumn is the best rain. You can smell it coming from miles away.

Each autumn since we've moved back to the east coast my family goes apple picking. In mid-October when several varieties are ready, we drive a few hours to spend the afternoon. We always pick way more than we need. We eat many fresh, cook down a bunch and store the applesauce, and cut up any that are not quite perfect for our pet rabbit. When kids pick with you, sometimes you end up with a few rotten spots.

The most crisp, juicy apples are those picked directly off the tree and eaten in the orchard. I love the ones that are slightly tart. Makes my mouth water just remembering it. All other apples are just imitations of what an apple should be.