Thursday Thirteen: Things I like about Fall

 
Fall may not officially be here but it seems to me that once school starts up, Fall is on our doorstep. This Thursday Thirteen is what I love about this season.
 
1. The humidity breaks, the temperatures drop and the sky is blue.
 
2. The nights are cooler too. We can open the windows and throw a blanket on the bed.
 
3. The leaves turn into a jewel box of color, universally appreciated. Who doesn't love a drive through the countryside just to admire the autumn leaves?
 
4. Pumpkins! Large, small, au naturale or carved into jack-o-lanterns, in fields or on front porches, pumpkins are great!
 
5. Apples! Pick your own or buy them at a roadside farm stand, the first apples of the season are crisp and juicy and everyone knows, apple pies are the best!
 
6. Sweater weather. We can put away the summer clothes and bringout the sweaters. There's only a short period before the snow flies when you can just grab a sweater as you run out the door and know it will be enough.
 
7. Halloween, whether you go all out for this strange holiday or just hand out candy (or hide in your house with the lights off) there is an excitement that is contagious when children don their costumes and believe, just for a night, that you don't recognize them.
 
8. Along with Halloween comes leftover candy, the best part of that holiday!
 
9. Not raking the leaves. I don't mean not to rake them, I mean it is not something I like to do! Raking leaves is greatly overestimated. Those leaves fall for over a month and just when you think you've raked them all, more will appear.
 
10. Comfort food. We always celebrate barbecue season when it arrives, but, man, it's good to have a hot bowl of homemade soup again and that first pot roast with roasted root veggies makes my mouth water!
 
11. Lighting the first fire of the year in the fireplace. Enough said.
 
12. Thanksgiving. Although I think the Canadians got the timing better, it is still good to take time to reflect upon our many blessings, even though that sometimes is overshadowed by consuming excessive amounts of food and football.
 
13. Listening to that little voice in the dark recesses of my brain saying, "Christmas is coming...better start getting ready now!"