Fall is, and always has been my favorite season. It's difficult living in Michigan however, to fully express your appreciation for Fall when you know what is to follow... Winter. Fall in Michigan means many things, back to school, new "fall" smells, the changing of leaves, boots, sweaters, football, cider, and Halloween. For me, I've always seen Fall as a new beginning. A fresh start to something big and exciting... maybe it's because my birthday occurs during this season or that I am a perpetual back to school geek. Whatever it is, I love how I feel and how every year my whole being can change with a simple drop in temperature.
Living in Florida now there is much to adjust to. First and foremost the on-set of football season isn't nearly as exciting since I swear I have yet to find football fans of any kind (NFL or college) that know remotely what it's like to actually tailgate. Attending the game is actually buying a ticket and standing outside the stadium for at least 4 hours drinking beer and playing cornhole. It isn't a 4 hour game event it is an 8 hour day event. You only go to the bar after you've tailgated to watch the game if you don't have a ticket... you don't actually tailgate at the bar.
Second, and maybe my biggest pet peeve is pumpkin patches. Oh sure you can buy a pumpkin. At the grocery store or from you local church's parking lot, but newsflash Floridians... those are not pumpkin patches. A pumpkin patch is on a farm... you actually take a hayride or trailer ride out to the patch and choose your pumpkin right from the spot its lived it's whole life. It's not clean! It has dirt on it.. the soil it was nursed in. You clean it!
Third, no one knows what a freaking cider mill is... my favorite thing to do in the Fall back home is drive out to the Uncle John's Cider Mill for their homemade cider, doughnuts, wine, and pies! I did a search to see if there was anything comparable... and there is not... alas it looks like skipping the mill again this year... thank god I'm pregnant and am not craving the Uncle John's wine... so my favorite ;o)
I wish so much that I could share the joys of a Michigan Fall with my Florida friends. There is such a buzz here about the change in temp... a welcoming much like back home when Winter is on the break of being over. Their enthusiasm of 70 degrees (vs 90) indicates to me that if they knew what a real cider mill, pumpkin patch, and tailgate was... it would make Fall something more to look forward to outside of the cozy and fashionable boots and sweaters.
With all that said... it is apparent to me that no matter where you live, Fall is a season is celebrated by all no matter what the actual setting is. So today I am celebrating with a Hot Apple Cider from Starbucks (not my first choice, but what are you going to do without a Biggby around) and can't wait to bust out my cozy boots tomorrow ;o)
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