Five things I love about the Fall season

Here are the five things I love the most about the fall season–

Actually, there are many, many more things I love about the fall season than I’m listing here, but narrowing it down to only five of my favorite things here in this post.

#1. Beautiful Changing Leaf Colors

Going out into the woods, walking in a park, or just walking around the block heightens your senses and makes you aware of the wonderful world around you. And it’s always a good idea to take a break from your seatweaving or basketweaving time to just observe and enjoy nature, don’t you think? It gives you a different perspective and clears your mind allowing you to return to your tasks with a sense of well-being like nothing else!

It’s always amazing to me how many different colors, shades and hues the leaves turn when the fall season begins. With the cooler temperatures and shorter lengths of daylight, the leaves lose their green color because of the diminishing chlorophyll content and then we can see more of the orange, yellow and brown. Also, as we walk on the fallen leaves we experience the crunch, crunch, crunch of the dried fallen leaves. What splendor!

#2. Spotting the First Woolly Bear Caterpillar of the Season

According to folklore and what I’ve always heard myself is that length or width of the orange/red/brown and black bands of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella) can determine what kind of an upcoming winter we will have–how long and how severe.

The longer or wider the black bands, the longer, colder and more severe the winter will be.  And conversely, if the orange/red/brown center band is longer or wider, the shorter and milder the winter will be.

Also, the location of those long black bands either on the head or at the tail can forecast whether the winter will be most harsh at the beginning of the season or at the end. If a harsh beginning of winter, the caterpillar will have a dark head and if the end of winter will be the most severe, the tail will have the longest dark band.

Feeling these little critters with their prickly little legs and body hair crawl around on my hand is a truly exhilarating experience that I always look forward to and relish. Is that crazy and child-like or what? I just can’t help it…

Isn’t this a weird place to find the Woolly Caterpillar up so high on the house? When I was going inside, I looked up and thought I spotted the beginnings of a mud dauber wasp nest but it turned out to be this cute little caterpillar instead.

#3. Cooler Outdoor Temps

I’m most comfortable in the cooler temperatures, so really enjoy when it drops from the 80ºs and 90ºs down into the 60ºs-20ºs. This is also the time to make sure wood is all cut and stacked for the woodburning stove and that the LP tank is full so we will get through the closely approaching winter, too.  Annual summer flowers have all gone by the wayside by now and have been replaced with ornamental flowering kale, mums, asters, and Autumn Joy Sedum.

#4.  Delicious, Warm, Hearty Foods

Since the temps are dipping and we’re trying to stay warm by raising the temperatures in our houses and wearing warmer clothing, filling our stomachs with warm, familiar, comfort foods also feeds the soul.

A couple of my favorites are home-made apple pies and warm, hearty and filling soups made from chicken, ham & bean, or beef with lots of vegetables. There’s nothing like walking into the house after a day outside in the fall and being pleasantly assaulted by the aromas of these wonderful enriching foods, especially when shared with family and friends!

Warm and Sweet Apple Pie

Hearty and Filling Soup

#5. Halloween Decorations, Spooky Goblins, Witches and Ghosts

Scooping out the inside pulp and seeds of the pumpkins and carving scary faces, turning them into jack-o-lanterns is one of the highlights of the fall season in my book. And all those gooey, sticky seeds taste great once they are cleaned up and roasted!

Course, Halloween night with all its goblins, witches and ghosts going from door to door asking for treats or giving some tricks never gets old either.  How many times have I overdosed on sugary, chocolate, caramels and other treats during this time of year? And the adult parties, so fantastic, need I say more?

How about you, what do you like best about the Fall season? Did I miss one of your favs? Let me know in the comments below.