Fall is the in the air

The nights are colder, the days are getting shorter, and the trees have changed and started dropping their leaves.
Fall is one of my favorite times of year.  Although the temperatures start to change (sometimes drastically here in Wisconsin - we've gone from 30 degrees at night to 70 during the day), there's nothing quite like walking through the woods on a crisp autumn day.

Leaves crunching underfoot, the stillness of the air, the brightly colored leaves still on the trees, or gently wafting to the ground.  Some birds have begun their migration to warmer climes further south.  Squirrels are busy stashing acorns for the long winter.

Come, walk through the woods with me.

The maple at the side of my driveway

Going into the woods across the road from my house

Sun through maple leaves

 

Orange maple leaves

The "torch" tree

All the leaves from the top of the "torch" tree

Here in Wisconsin there's all sorts of wildlife we might come across during our walk, if we're quiet.  Bears are preparing for hibernation, the squirrels are chattering from high branches, turkeys are grazing on the fallen acorns that the squirrels haven't found yet, and the whitetail deer are in their mating season.

If we're really lucky, we might catch sight of our national bird, the Bald Eagle, in flight.

Fall doesn't mean no more flowers; the aster is in bloom, in all its many shades of purple.

Before we head inside, let's select our pumpkins for carving, stuffing, or making pies.

120 pounds of pumpkins

26 pound pumpkin

Take a deep breath.  Over the scent of fallen leaves and the crispness of the air you should be able to smell...wood smoke.  There's a fire going!  Let's hurry inside and warm up in front of it, and I'll get us each a mug of hot cocoa.