Autumn is showing itself again with the days gradually getting shorter and the temperatures cooler.

Autumn is showing itself again with the days gradually getting shorter and the temperatures cooler. After the heat of summer I welcome the change, as I find fall to be particularly beautiful and invigorating. I love working in my garden just about any time of the year, and preparing my garden beds and plants for their winter sleep is quite satisfying. I also thoroughly enjoy the hustle and bustle of fall.

    Traditionally Autumn was the time of bringing in the harvest, preparing foodstuffs to last the winter months, and a time when communities worked together to bring in the crops and celebrated with feasts, fairs and festivals. While you may not have to harvest and prepare food for the winter, you can still enjoy a lot of wonderful Autumn activities, starting with getting out of doors for Autumn walks as the leaves begin to turn yellow, orange and red. I especially love hiking in the fall, as the weather is milder. Sometimes I collect leaves for a table decoration or take pictures of the shifting scenery. When I can’t get out for a hike I enjoy leisurely walks through a favorite park where the trees are particularly colorful in the fall.

    I suggest to my clients to get out of this time of year. I know that many of us have had particularly difficult winters the past couple of years. While we don't know what this winter will bring, make it a point to enjoy this cooler and colorful season. Think about taking a trip to a fruit or nut orchard in the fall to pick some fresh fruits or nuts for fall pies, canning or winter baking is a wonderful activity for a family or a group of friends to engage in. There's nothing like the smell of cinnamon laced pies baking in the oven on an autumn day, so I always plan a visit to my local pumpkin patch for pie pumpkins and the traditional Halloween jack-o-lantern pumpkin. I've noticed that some pumpkin patches also have family activities including pumpkin chunking contests and corn mazes to find your way through. What a great way to spend a harvest time afternoon or evening!

    One of my favorite Autumn pastimes is attending local craft fairs and Autumn festivals. You can usually find them by checking your local paper or visiting the website of your town's chamber of commerce. Autumn fairs and festivals are a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family, not to mention great places to pick up autumn treat foods and handmade gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

  I hope you'll find time to get outside and enjoy the changing colors of the leaves, the cooler weather, and all the great activities that come with the harvest season.