Autumn is my favorite season. The leaves are turning bright red, yellow, and orange. Golden mums share space with the last of the summer flowers. Pumpkins, gourds, and squash fill our gardens just waiting to be carved for Halloween or cooked into delicious pies, breads, and steaming kettles of soup.
And the apples! They both look and smell inviting. Whether you enjoy an afternoon hayride through the orchard to pick your own, or would rather buy a bushel of the already picked, don’t forget to buy pies and donuts and gallons of cider before you head home.
Even the air feels different. Not merely the indisputable fact that the temperature’s dropping, but much more. Sunlight is softer. Dark clouds don’t automatically tease rain. It could snow. And those aren’t songbirds you hear singing above. No, those are the loud honks of geese flying south in formation.
Autumn means oversized hoodies and thick, warm, sweaters. Lap rugs and heavy socks. Football season is here. Doesn’t matter if you’re rooting for your local high school team with a cup of hot chocolate, or scoring tickets to the big NFL game and drinking your favorite beer with a couple thousand of your closest friends, there’s nothing like the roar of the crowd to keep you warm.
It’s also the time when you can snuggle up under a blanket in front of the fire and begin to tackle that out-of-control pile of books waiting to be read. If you happen to be one of those rare humans whose books have all been read, it’s a great time to load up with new ones. Kindle or traditional paper, doesn’t matter. Hit up your local independent bookstore, many of whom offer the chance to meet a local author. Check out the holiday arts and crafts shows. It’s not unusual to find at least one author there offering new adventures for a reasonable price. Speaking of which, Tina Susedik and I will be at the Bloomer, Wisconsin, annual arts and crafts show this coming Saturday from 9 to 2. If you’re in the area (north of Eau Claire), stop by and say hello. We’d love to tell you all about our books.
