First Day of Autumn

Another week has gone and come around. The first day of autumn is upon us and how I love and adore this season. Of watching the gorgeous riot of colors from spring and summer slip into the succulent, rich colors of autumn. Living in northern New Jersey, I adored watching all the brilliant green leaves turn to their various shades of russet reds, golden yellows, rich browns and all the shades in between.

That crisp cool scent in the air that breaks up the thick humidity of summer air. A light breeze that gently caresses your cheek and flows into your hair. It fills your nose with the scents of cinnamon from all those brooms ready for sale in the stores, nutmeg, delicious apples, ripening pumpkins ready to be chosen to become a jack-o-lantern, and even the decay of leaves just before they fall. It's a crisp breeze that promises a hint of cooler temperatures, of a light snow that is too come.

Some of my favorite memories are from this time of the year. Just as the leaves started to change, my family went to an apple orchard first. There we picked up fresh picked apples, fresh hand-pressed apple cider, and the most delectable doughnuts made with apple cider and covered with cinnamon and sugar. Ahh! I could easily eat a dozen of those on my own and not care one ounce of how much it added in weight. They were truly a delight for the tastebuds and I anxiously waited each autumn for the first bag of those doughnuts. Actually, I just found a recipe to make doughnuts that way and I hope it turns out similar to those.

After the orchard trip, we went further up the road to a state park. If you hit it just the right time of the autumn, all the leaves were their glorious colors and most were still clinging to their branches, not yet ready to give up and drift to the ground. We would hike for hours through the various trails and paths, coming to the small Black River that meandered it's lazy way through the park, even coming up with a small waterfall. It was a blast to play in, watch little bark boats with a leaf sail bobble its way down. When we brought our Golden Retrievers there, they would romp and splash and play in the river until they were two wet rats with the goofiest of smiles on their sweet faces.

The day would end enjoying sandwiches, or a small barbeque, and top it off with the cider, apples, and doughnuts before we would hike our way back out to the car and a restful evening.

To one and all, help welcome this wonderful time of the year in before the craziness of the holidays come upon us.

I hope these quiet days, and chilly nights, help you snuggle up with a good book and a mug of hot cider. Or to those writers, entice you to your keyboards and pen and notebook to work on whatever magical stories that fill your mind.

Hugs and dreams.