AND THE WINNER IS…
UPDATE: Still waiting to hear from the winner. MELISSA ROBBINS, please email me by October 14, 2016, or I’ll need to chose a different winner. THANKS!
MELISSA ROBBINS! Email me at rebekah@maryjanesfarm.com ASAP with the name and address to send the subscription to! WOOHOO! Congratulations!
It’s that time of year again….yes, autumn, but also when I renew my subscription to MaryJanesFarm magazine! You know what that means? I’m giving away a subscription to one of you!
“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” George Eliot
If you’d like to enter, simply comment below saying WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN. And don’t fret when you don’t see your comment pop up. I’m out of pocket until the end of the week, so won’t be able to approve any comments until I’m back in the pocket. Here’s the important part, make sure to check back in one week. I’ll do a random drawing and post the winner’s name on Tuesday, October 4th, 2016. The winner will need to email me (rebekah@maryjanesfarm.com) to give me the name and address of the person to send the subscription to within a few days so I can get our subscriptions off in the mail.
What’s NOT to love about autumn? Can anyone tell me ONE thing that’s not to love about this season? The crisp mornings. The colors in the trees and flowers that take your breath away. Bon fires. Hay rides. Apple cider. Plaid flannel. Jumping in leaf piles.
I grew up in small town America, in a little college town outside of Atlanta. Summers were long and hot and humid. In that part of the country, the seasons do not dictate the weather. Summer is hot, sure, that’s true. But autumn is hot too. And spring is hot. And winter is not a wonderland.
As a kid, I don’t remember being aware of the equinox, AT ALL. The actual date and time when autumn arrived was relatively unimportant. Autumn came later in the year, usually by Halloween but always by Thanksgiving. The thing I remember most about autumn was the leaves. Colorful and vibrant and then covering the ground. Crunch, crunch, crunch, not THAT means autumn has arrived. There was a large maple in the playground at the elementary school. I knew it was fall when I needed a jacket at recess and could kick around all those crunchy leaves.
Where I live now, in the Appalachian Mountains, autumn is far more cooperative. It comes when the alignment of the Sun and Earth tells it to. This year, it came on September 22 at 10:21 am, just as it was supposed to. And I’m happy to report that here, where I live now: autumn is perfection.
The morning and evening temperatures are suddenly cool and lovely. Windows open, curtains flapping around in the breeze. Ah…
This morning I sat out on the deck with a cup of coffee, admiring my view.
My view? Merlin grazing contentedly in the green pasture.
I notice that he flicks his tail less frequently this morning than in the previous months of mornings. The flies are letting up. Something about watching Merlin warms my heart, grows my heart. Whenever I see him in the pasture, I call out to him, “Merlin! My Angel!” If I’m close by, he’ll come over to the fence to see me. If I’m further away, he’ll turn around. “Merlin! My Angel!”
Love him.
Merlin does not ascribe to the common philosophy that the grass is greener on the other side. I admire that about him. The cows across the street do indeed live by that philosophy. They are forever sticking their heads through barbed wire fences, getting zapped by electric fences, getting too close to the road, just to get a taste of that sweeter grass on the other side. Not my Merlin. He is wise. And content.
The black horse is young Jessi. He drives Merlin crazy with his nonsense. Always climbing mountains in search of better eats.
OH MY! Suddenly several bluebirds swoop down and do nose-dives right in front of me. I freeze. They are after the same bug or worm. Goal congruence. But only one victor. Their eyes on the prize, they didn’t notice the gigantic human sitting in the chair drinking a cup of coffee. There, one of them got the bug and flies up, up, up. The others follow as they light on branches of a Black Walnut tree. I have a cluster of Black Walnut trees that shelter my office in the Old Wash House.
If you’ve lived with Black Walnut trees in your yard, then you know all about the big, green, hard balls that fall from the trees this time of year. Those hard balls protect the walnut inside. Walking to my office is like walking through a yard full of golf balls.
As I look up at the Black Walnut trees, I notice lots of blue birds, not just those few that dropped down to the yard. There must be over two dozen spread on the branches. When I lived in Atlanta, I kept blue bird houses and studied their behaviors in depth. I learned that this time of year, the birds join flocks. Many were born in the spring or summer. Strength in numbers. The old winter song, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” has a line, “Gone away is the bluebird, Here to stay is the new bird.” That is not the case here. We have bluebirds here all winter long. I would feed them, except for these 3 reasons:
Reason Number One: Jude
(on top of my pantry!)
Reason Number Two: Sgt. Pepper
Reason Number Three: Mr. Mustache
The coming of autumn ALSO means that I put on a pot of my famous Autumn’s Black Bean Soup.
Here’s the recipe. It makes all the difference in the world to use dried black beans rather than canned black beans. Worth the effort!
It also means all things PUMPKIN.
Pumpkin spice coffee. Pumpkin hot tea. Pumpkin ravioli. Pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Bread.
I made a batch and baked them in small Bundt cake pans and small loaf pans to share. I added large chocolate chips to the batter this time. Yum.
Autumn also means something else on the farm. The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye so it’s time to cut it. This will be cattle food.
Here’s the field as the corn is being cut and shredded. Next stop, a silo.
And this. SOON! Have you had any of this yet on your grass in the morning?
Also in autumn, something happens to my chickens. Poor things. When I finally was able to visit my chickens again after my surgery, it looked like they had hosted a big pillow fight in their house. Feathers were scattered all over the floor and all in their nest boxes and on the window seals. What a sight to see. Yes, it is that time of year again, molting season! This is the season when they go through a period of looking raggedy and homeless. They lose their old feathers and grow new ones.
Part of molting is a huge reduction in egg production. We are lucky to get one egg a day. You might recall that I have 13 hens and 1 rooster. One egg a day, IF we are lucky! That’s a very low number, isn’t it. So I just buy eggs from a farmer down the street for $3.00. I’m okay with that. If the truth be known, I don’t have chickens for their eggs. So, it works out fine for all of us. I’ve had my flock 3 years now. How can that be? Time flies.
Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the contest and then check back!
Until next time, Friends, Savor the Flavor of Life!
Lots of Love, Rebekah, The City Farmgirl in the Country
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What I like about autumn is the cooler weather!!!!
No better reading than MaryJane Butter!!
The crisp air!
I love the change in temperature and clear blue skies. I love that cooler temperatures bring in my season of autumn music festivals. Thr ringing of fiddles banjos, guitars, and of course autoharps, through the air that is sweetened by molasses making, corn pulling, and cutting hay is pure joy.
What I love about Autumn…I love looking across the hay field and not only seeing the trees change in woods but seeing the horses in their pasture…beautiful. I love the soups (I make a mean navy bean soup). I love drinking cider hot or cold. I love when I take my DaisyMae out for her last walk before going to bed looking up at the stars and in the cool crisp air, it makes the stars seem brighter.
Cool, crisp mornings and warm, sunny afternoons! Aaahhh!
Autumn is truly my favorite season of all! Sweaters, boots, hot cider, pumpkin pie, a big pot of chili, cooler nights and Packers football. Need I say more?
Hi Rebekah
Lovely to read you’re up and about again. Love all of your photos. You certainly liv in a beautiful place.
I love autumn for the crisp mornings and evenings. The change in foods to cook, stews, soups, roasts. The cosy evenings and fresh feeling air . I really love the stunning colours of the leaves both on the trees and the crunch of underfoot as I walk. I used to live west of the blue mountains here and autumn is absolutely stunning. Each season was defined and distinct from the others. Where I live now on the mid north coast on the eastern coast our seasons are not so distinct and seem to almost flow into one another. I love autumn to for the reprieve from long hot and humid summers. There’s no particular time of year we really got autumn. It seemed to really kick in late this year. Was supposed to begin on the calendar on march 1st but temperature wise we didn’t really get it until sometime in may, this is the downside of living where I do.
Blessings from Australia
I love pumpkin patches! Taking a horse drawn wagon ride out to our local pumpkin patch with my sweet little grandsons is priceless. They have warm apple cider donuts too.
Hope you are healing well. Thanks.
Geez! If you had asked me about Spring–my favorite part is that Summer follows. Definitely cannot say it about Fall–Winter follows and in Minnesota it is long, cold and snowy. But Fall harvest is wonderful!
I love the crisp mornings that encourage an extra pep in your step and the pumpkin flavored everything from the harvest of Summer’s best! The gathering of friends and preparations for winter nesting! The extra blanket or long sleeved shirts, the first lighting of the fireplace , oh there’s so much -I could go on an I like the rustling of leaves and squirrels scurrying to gather their nuts- what’s not to love about Autumn Blessings
I love Autumn because it has always signalled the beginning of a new year for me, sine my birthday is just about on the autumnal equinox. New school year, new clothes, newly sharpened pencils and blank notebooks. New teachers. And yet as an adult, it is the time of harvesting and preparing for the winter, winding up and reaping the result of the growing season. I love the spicy fragrance of cinnamon in apple and pumpkin pie.
Rebeka, always look forward to your posts as well as the closing article in MJF’s mag. Here in the midwest, autumn is punctuated by dusty combines shelling out corn and soybeans, return of the gold finches in their gray-green finery, or a sudden wisp of woodsmoke as people ready their stoves for winter. I’ve put my veggie garden to bed except for the Brussels sprouts. I like the sweetness they gain after the first frost. My wildflowers are still vibrant and cheery….not realizing they will soon be cosseted in white stuff. I’ve hayed in the perennial garden as well as the peonie patch and trumpet honeysuckle. Just putting to rights all my plantings reassures me that with a bit of rest and care they’ll sing to me again come May.
Your kitchen sounds fragrant and so welcoming. I can almost feel that blast of heat on winter chilled cheeks and nose. Every September I lay in the supplies I will need over the winter. I hate starting a recipe only to find I am missing “one” ingredient. I scan my cookbooks for soup variations and slow cooked casseroles. I bake cookies, cakes and cinnamon rolls so the house is filled with the aromas I remember from childhood. My pantry and freezer are full and jars of home canned produce line one wall.
Reluctantly I will soon have to take down the hummingbird feeder. I haven’t seen any of my regulars nor the migrating visitor for a week or more. The sacks of bird seed (various kinds as the birds are fussy…lol) and treats are carefully stored on the side porch, out of mousie’s reach. I do have a stash of novels at the ready by my chair for my cold weather entertainment and craft projects are queued up just waiting for me to get my mojo rolling.
Finally, I will sit on my front porch swing drinking a hot, strong cup of coffee, even in a coat, hat and mitts, just to watch the last leaf fall and listen to the sounds and take in the smells of a new season settling in.
Yep, Autumn’s the best…..what’s not to love!
Barbara
I love everything about fall – the weather, the colors of the leaves, baking treats with pumpkin and apple flavors…I could go on forever!
Rebekah, how are you recovering from your surgery. Sounds like you are able to get around more now. I just love this blog post! I am so excited for autumn. Everything you have listed are perfect reminders of how wonderful autumn truly is. We have started to cool off hear but the leaves haven’t changed quite yet. It’s so beautiful when they do. Also, I love all things pumpkin. Pumpkins spice drinks, pumpkin spice candles, pumpkin spice sweets. I have already gotten out my pumpkin spice candles and had my husband dig out my fall and Halloween decorations last night so they can be put up today. This is the perfect time of year! Thank you for the magazine giveaway opportunity.
I love the cooler temps & photographing all the fall colors!
Huge fan of MJF.
Thanks, good information.
I truly miss living in Moscow, Idaho; although living and helping my two daughters with their lives in Las Vegas, Nevada fills my heart.
I loved this post and all of your photos.
Do you have a recipe for a pumpkin Chai latte? Tea. .
Fall to me always meant sweatshirts and hot chocolate. Fall colors. Pumpkins. Now it just means that SUMMER MAY FINALLY END. I live in Florida.
What I love most about Autumn is that the weather is perfect for cozying up under a warm blanket with my little girl and her book. There is no place I’d rather be!
What I love so much about autumn is that my garden has come to an end. I know that sounds terrible to some people, but I have a tradition of standing in my garden when it is the right time and thanking God for all the blessings of the growing season. Loads of tomatoes, tons of potatoes, and oodles of green beans. And always so much more. I feel the completion of another great growing season and can happily say I had enough to share with family and friends and still plenty to use for myself during the winter. It’s a wonderful feeling!
Divine Autumn, my favorite season. I love pretty much everything about it. Pumpkins, Pumpkin Spice everything, sweaters, socks, soups, Halloween, harvest, orange and black, decorating my porch, warm fires, a steaming cup of tea. So many things to love but what I love the most is the colors, the falling leaves, the first rain, the smell of wet dirt, and the crisp cool fresh air.
I love the aspens turning yellow, smell of wood fires and cool breezes.
I love autumn, the crisp air, the gorgeous leaves!
Awesome photos! Love the horses. My favorite.
My favorite thing about autumn–One THING?? It is hard to narrow it down, but it isn’t just the coolness, not just the smell, hmm…my very favorite thing would be the hue. The colors of plants, the sky, the clothing–that can all fall under the category of Color!
I love the change of tree colors and the crunch of leaves when you walk in them.
I love the colors of Autumn. But the sound of leaves crunching under my feet and the smells are great too.
I love everything about autumn! Pumpkin fields, pumpkin bread, leaves of all colors. Chilly mornings and evenings. Warm not HOT days, apple picking days, apple butter making days. Oh, I just love AUTUMN.
It’s often been said “Food tastes better outdoors” .But here in New England, it not only tastes better outdoors, but in the fall it smells better- apple crisp, cider donuts, etc. Here we have farmstands not too many miles apart. The weather is great for hiking, treasure hunting at yard sales and flea markets. I prefer the beach in the fall also………… sun wind, and no crowds and the pressure of wearing a swimsuit!
Fall in the best season of the year in my opinion!
The cooler days and the leaves
Autumn is a blessing to me – I live in steamy hot Texas and fall is often fast and not really noticed . I savor the cooler temps and yummy feeling of things slowing down (and cooling down)! if even a few degrees!
Autumn brings back memories of growing up in Maryland…amazing colors ; leaves and pumpkins , scarecrows, spiced cider.. and a crisp smell in the air of fireplaces ..
All things pumpkin and spices.. I savor these memories.
Ahh, much like you I grew up and live in a place where each season is hotter than the next…Florida. I think the coming of fall brings hope to me. It makes me confident that the sweltering of summer shall soon pass and there will be cool days ahead. On those rare occasions my soul is filled with happiness. Fall here means we can actually go outside again! I too am a lover of all things pumpkin and I Relish the smells it brings. Thanks for bringing me to a crisper place with your photos!
Autumn in San Francisco bay area is our best summer weather. Don’t laugh – if you have ever read Mark Twain’s quote: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” you know this is true. Summer kicks in just about now and I love the warm weather!
I love Autumn as the air cools and the leaves paint their colors throughout the trees.
Autumn, my favourite time of year. I am most inspired and artistic with the colors changing. I am a conceptual textile artist. MaryJanes Farm is always a source for ideas.
I’m a suburban girl now but my Dad was a farmer. He came to the city after serving in WW11. We used to go to my aunt and uncle’s farm in the summer. I just loved the country folk and helping out with chores. Your mag reminds me of days gone by. My favourite part of fall is PUMPKINS! Love those..I make a Pumpkin Gingerbread that everyone loves…..janet
My favorite thing in Autumn is taking all the grandchildren to a place in Tennessee called Grandaddy’s Farm. They have slides, pig races, bouncy trampoline and more. The grandchildren look forward to it all year. Cotton candy and sweet popcorn. But the best part is taking the hayride and letting them each pick out a pumpkin. Just down home fun on the farm.
What I ❤️ The most about fall is all the colour Mother Nature provides. It’s like she takes a hugh paint brush & gives the trees magnificent coats of red & orange & yellows !!!! And all the bright orange pumpkins too!!! Against the blue sky if a perfect fall day!!! Life is great in the fall!!!!!
What I love most about autumn is the changes. As a gemini I am easily bored by sameness. Great as summer was it’s time to move on. I love marching bands and fall colors.
Your home is so beautiful! Love the black & white – horses & cats. The soup sounds yummy also. Maybe if it ever cools here I will make. It’s in the high 90s here today in the Sacramento Valley of California. It was over 100 on Sunday. I look forward so much to some frost on the ground.
I love your magazine!!! One of my most popular canning recipes “peach vanilla butter” came from your magazine years ago. I get so many ideas and always find myself inspired. Thank you!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Autumn!! This is the time of year when one of favorite things comes out — PUMPKINS!!!
I don’t know what it is about those pumpkins but I just love them. Orange, green, white — it doesn’t matter the color. I love them all!!
The fall colors are another favorite of mine. I love hiking through the woods here in Wisconsin. It’s fun to watch the critters getting ready for the winter.
I also love cooking in my Crock Pot during the fall. There’s nothing better than turning on the Crock Pot and cooking your meal all day. Coming home after work smelling the wonderful smells of fall — there is nothing like it!!!!
My favorite thing about Autumn is the change in weather. (still waiting as it’s 97 out on my porch right now.) I always love that Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! I look forward to trying it once the temps go down a bit.
I love autumn. We don’t get much of one down here in Louisiana, but when we get a crisp cool day without humidity we appreciate it even more. Windows open in the house, windows down in the car, telling stores by the fire on weekend nights – all without the constant buzz of the mosquito. It is pure heaven. A nice relief from the heat of summer.
I love it all – the smells, the changing color of leaves, pumpkin anything, apple cider!!!
I must say I am a spring kind of girl!! lol but I do like the changing of the leaves and the coolness of the weather. Summer work is over! Which is good too.
I love Autumn because the heat has finally broken! Cool weather makes me happy. Glad to know your doing well after the surgery, but watch out for those “golf balls” they could be very hard on repaired ankles.
Perhaps it’s the earthy smell of decaying leaves, or the hues of gold, scarlet, rust and violet blue. No wait, it’s those harvest moons and the crisp morning air. Maybe it’s the apple cider and fresh cauliflower. However, pumpkins and gourds turn my head without any coaxing. Gosh, I love lingering dahlias and zinnias, too. Silly me, it’s all of those things that I love about fall!
I love the cooler temperatures and getting to have my windows open. Sitting with a blanket on the couch or on the deck ! And the first frost that kills a lot of the bugs so I can enjoy the outdoors!
I love autumn for the crisp air in the mornings. The trees changing colour and curling up inside with a good book.
My favorite thing about fall is the comfort of warmth. Seeking out warm drinks, soups, fires, sweaters, sunlight through windows, a warm kitty on my lap, knitting large blankets that lay across my lap!! I welcome Fall and all its’ cozy counterparts!
I love all the gorgeously colored chrysanthemums!
I love the smell of the crisp cool air of autumn
Rebekah, it’s still hot in Atlanta! To have some cooler weather as you are having would be wonderful. Fall is always my favorite time with the colorful leaves, crisp air and frosty mornings. I have a pecan tree in the back yard, and the squirrels work very hard running up and down gathering the nuts…so much fun to watch. Enjoy the baking..I can taste it.
Fall is my favorite season and always has been. You asked what there was not to like about Fall …. well, all I can think is that it doesn’t last all year !
iLving here on the coast of NC is great but, going to the Smoky mountains and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway is heaven !
Gosh, there’s so many things I love about autumn – bonfires, fires in the fireplace, cooking salmon on the grill and eating it outside while watching the stars. Seeing moose stroll down the street in search of crabapple trees, and canning all the crabapples, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries that they didn’t get! Watching the termination dust grow further down the mountains and hoping the snowfall will hold off until at least after Halloween. Waking up to frosty mornings that segue into mild sunny afternoons and then on to cool nights. And most of all the smells: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin, apples, and clean air!
I love the changing colors and the crispness of everything. Right now, as the green fades, but pre-color…whrn the wind blows and the sunlight is just right, some trees take on a silvery glow! Amazing!
I most love the pleasant weather – clear days not too hot with low humidity.
What a great article and the pictures do tell a thousand words! Thanks for the effort in putting it all together for our enjoyment.
Please enter me in your contest. I will check back later. Thank you.
I love Fall because the crisp,cool weather. I have more ambition to do more things with the cooler weather. Thank you for this generous giveaway.
Marilyn
i love fall for all the colorful leaves and the freshness in the air. Thanks for the giveaway.
Joan
I luv the cooler weather the leaves the smell the apples the color
I love Fall because it is beautiful to see all the brilliant colors of the leaves and the smell of burning leaves. It is a comfy feeling and season. Thanks for this great giveaway.
Marion
Ahhh…fall. It’s time to get out the quilts for those cool nights. Soon we will go apple picking and bake a fresh apple pie. In a couple weeks, the trees will be showing their glory with the beautiful colors of fall. How can I pick just one thing about fall that I love?!
I looooove all of the things you mentioned PLUS the smell in the air!!!
The crisp fall air.
Would love to win a subscription! Thanks for the chance to win! What’s NOT to love about autumn…cooler temps, beautiful colors, crunchy leaves beneath the feet, fall food, pumpkins, wool yarn projects, autumn garden veggies, and I could go on and on and on. :0) Happy Fall!
Warm days, cool nights, cozy sweaters, comfy slippers, mums, pumpkins, Jack o’ Lanterns, changing colors and falling leaves, bonfires, S’mores, a pot of simmering chili, steaming cups of hot cider, or cocoa, starry nights, harvest moon, Gramma’s quilt on the bed are some of my autumn favorites.
Oh, so many things to love about fall. But the best thing for me right now, is that the weather will start to cool down. Living here in Houston, I’ll be able to actually get outside and do some much needed yard work that has been neglected during the hot months of summer. I could even do some gardening that I so long for! I also want pumpkin everything.
I am happy to see autumn come around since it means among other things, cleaning out the garden and making pumpkin butter, butter nut squash soup and roasting seeds. This time of year make me realize that God is preparing the earth to rest. I need that rest, too, after constant outside chores. It means that I can spend guilt free days quilting and sewing.
thank you.
I’d love to enter! I think what I love most about Autumn is the smell of leaves all crisp in the air!
~Julia
I now live far away from Autumn here in Florida. How I miss Autumn in the northeast. It is my favorite season by far. I think for me it is the exquisite color everywhere. The mornings are crisp and when the sun comes up the color is so vibrant. In the mountains especially I love driving along through the colors and see the breeze blow the leaves around. There is so much to love about this time of year. I think it is wonderful that all of us have our own reasons to love Autumn. God Bless
What I love about autumn
Is that first moment of
Cool , dry air in the morning
When your window tells you
On the am. The air has changed
For the better!
Autumn in the Pacific Northwest is splendid. Our trees are already turning gorgeous colors as the crisp mornings bring out their vibrant tones of fall.
Making yummy pumpkin pies, bread , and hot apple cider, definitely fill my kitchen with the smells of the season.
Then off to the pumpkin patch with the grand-children to gather the perfect pumpkins for carving!
Then onto one of my favorite seasonal activities, a drive up beautiful Mount Rainier to picnic and enjoy the trees all dressed in beautiful fall garb.
Thankful for the blessings and happiness the fall brings to us!
I love the color of the leaves and cozy sweaters on a chilly day and curling up with a cup of tea and a great book.
I love crisp air through cracked windows while I snuggle in a blanket
I love the fall colors. I love Thanksgiving. I love pumpkin and apples.
I love the cooler days of autumn. The colors of the trees showing off their beauty for all to see. It’s also pumpkin time. So fun to display pumpkins, corn shocks, scarecrows and all the neat things that go along with them. Autumn is my favorite season.
The best part of fall is that it is the end of a wonderful growing season, we have enjoyed all of the freshness of Spring, and the growth of Summer and now can settle in for a little relaxation and prepare the best bounty of the harvest; squash, potato, cauliflower, apples, and last but not least PUMPKIN. I love anything pumpkin, and just started a Pinterest Board All about Pumpkin.
I love autumn for all the obvious reasons, cooler temperatures, fall leaves of different colors, pumpkin pie but most of all for the birth of three of my four sons one in October and two in November the fourth one was born in March, (I love spring too). Oh and also my birthday is in September.
Autumn…I love it as it was always the beginning of getting life in order again. School was starting, schedules were planned, holidays were right around the corner, mmm…so nice.
Autumn is my favorite season! What I love most about it is the weather:bluest of blue skies with warm sunny days and cool clear nights. Also love the cooking of bean soups, winter squash and cakes.
I love the changing leaves and the changing weather. Most of all I love being outside in the fall and walking.
I love fall for all the reasons you mentioned but I also love camping in the fall. There’s something wonderful about being in the woods, eating food cooked over a campfire and watching as things change. Fall is my favorite time of year.
I too live in the Western Appalachian Mountains, and the leaves are falling fast! We live in the middle of the forest and it is enchanting!
Your post brings back memories of childhood playing in them and seeing the countryside is new to me as I have been a city girl most of my life.
OH WOW! Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips, what a brilliant idea! The soup looks so warming and your animals are awesome and take wonderful photographs! Isn’t Country Living just grand!
Smiles, Cyndi
Not sure if this will apply to me as I am in Canada but love the blog and thought I would reply. The Autumnal Equinox hit us right on time this year. This past summer was one of the driest here for over 60 years with brutal heat and humidity. I was counting the days until Autumn. My Grandpa used to call it “Sweater weather”. I love that term. I love that on these mornings I need to put on a sweater on my way out to the chicken coop to let the ladies out into their run. The trees are starting to turn here but it is the sweater that I think of most when I think of Autumn. Cheers.
Everything!! Living in rural western New York, I’m blessed to be able to experience spectacular changes in color, delicious fresh apples, a bounty of fall produce (squash!), and a crisp cool breeze that breathes life back into us after a long hot summer. The cattle and horses are a little frisky and everyone seems a little brighter.
Enjoy the photos
cause
I’m in the south
and that’s the only way to cool off : )
My favorite things about Autumn are decorating the house in all Fall colors, lighting candles that smell like Pumpkin or Apples Pie, having hot apple cider at one of the local farms while Apple/Pumpkin picking, cooler air where you just need a light weight jacket, hay rides, having the windows open at night and no AC, getting ready for the Wool and Sheep Show in Rhinebeck, NY and stocking up on ideas and get wool deals, snuggling with my daughter and our dog on the couch under a soft blanket. Just the whole feel of the season makes me happy. Happy Fall Everyone!
Diane
My favorite thing about fall is being able finally open my windows and get fresh air in the house after a long very hot Arizona summer!
Ah, Autumn! As you said, what’s not to love? My favorite parts of the season…the way the light changes. This makes everything different, not as harsh as Summer’s sun, not as weak as Winter’s, not as welcome as Spring’s, just sort of softer, slower. Sadly, where I live, Autumn is also the worst part of “fire season”, so there are those concerns as well. Between that, the fading light, and falling leaves, I love the message of Autumn that it’s ok to say good-bye to things, it’s all fleeting anyway, but there is with the good-bye a promise of hope for new and exciting futures!
Ahhh! Autumn! I love the colors, the smells, the cooler weather. A time for apples and cider. Yum! I love going to my favorite state park in the autumn and walking through the leaves. So much to enjoy.
It warms my heart to see your posts online. I hope by now you are well healed and feeling better than ever.
I have subscribed to MaryJanes Farm for years and was finally able, 6 years ago, to fulfill a lifelong dream to buy a small farm of my own. When each new issue arrives I turn to your page first. Your upbeat, down-home, bring her on attitude is contagious and life affirming.
I always share my copies with my friends and family and it would be a delight to win a subscription to give away.
Happy autumn.
I love fall because it is time for everything to rest. Some people say that is when everything starts dying. I prefer that they have just completed their orchestrated productions and now they are resting and preparing for the next big performance.
This is one season to just enjoy. The warmth, the colors, the apples!!
Autumn is the best! The feel of the cool air in the morning, snuggling in warm flannel drinking hot chocolate or tea, all of the beautiful fall colors on the trees…it just seems that after the hot summer the world slows down and catches its breath.
I live in Michigan and it’s definitely getting cooler here. My son has started to wear long pants and a jacket to school instead of shorts. I’ve started closing windows too. Not all of them. Not yet. Lots of apples up this way now too. I’ve started nesting in preparation of the long winter. Doing a fall clean instead of a spring clean, clearing out some of the clutter so we don’t have to worry about it when the weather gets cold and we can just snuggle in.
I was so excited to experience the beginning of fall for the first time in 32 years. It brought back all the memories you write about. What a wonderful time of year.
Love the turning of fall colors, time to bring out the soup pot. Also all the family get together for the holidays.
Wonderful, calming post Rebekah. Now I have to make a pot of black bean soup.
If you didn’t want your chickens to molt, you could put a light in their coop on a timer so they get 14 hours of light and then they won’t molt (mine comes on in the early a.m.). I can send you photos of my set-up if you’d like. Let me know!
I love the autumn colors. Plus my favorite holiday is Halloween!
We live in coastal California, but there is a subtle autumn going on. The leaves are dropping from our large deciduous tree in the back yard. We mostly know it’s autumn by all of the pumpkin products available at Trader Joe’s. This year will be a challenge for me, as I’ve gone Paleo, so grains are out. I am learning, but have yet to perfect paleo breads. But- I love the soups, and pumpkin protein shakes, and pies with coconut flour crusts, and pumpkin curried meatballs. Fall, glorious fall!
The colors of fall, smelling smoke from chimneys, leaves burning, cool mornings, warm afternoons, fog rolling in, apple picking, pie making, cider drinking, pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice coffee, pumpkin spice tea, these are a few of my favorite things…..the colors: burnt orange, burnished golds, so many greens
I have always loved Autumn since my childhood days. There is something very comforting about dressing in warmer clothes and looking for craft bizzarres and Fall festivals. The beauty in the earth. The scents of comfort foods. Remembering a time to be thankful for all things great or small. Harvest of herbs and snuggling down in a quilt at night with a long forgotten unread book. Magic in the change. I revel in it every year.
autumn is this most wonderful time of the year: a time to garden, to cook soups, to lie on the couch covered up with a warm blanket either reading or watching television or just taking a nap.
There are so many things that I love about Autumn. The changing colors of the leaves;the wind through my curtains after a long hot summerof air conditioning;those bigorange sunsets and huge orange moons too.Mostly I love the feeling of comfort that the smell of persimmion cookies that my Godmother Lee would make , the warm soup and biscuits my Mother served us for dinner, the apples, oh yes the apples!!!Now that I am older Autumn means the pumpkin patch is calling for me to collect my Daughter and my Grandgirls and search for the very best cause its a tradition that I started 6 years ago , and one that I hope to continue with my Greatgrands God willing!
I too love Autumn It usually is opposite of whatever summer gave us always a welcome relief as it is like redecorating the outside with new stuff I like living where we can experience all four seasons as each is beautiful in its own right
Fresh collards and field peas are my favorite part of autum.
What I love about Autumn…is the fresh crisp air, the smell of pumpkin pie, the geese flying south, the beautiful colors of the Tundra. And the anticipation of the first snow fall.
Autumn to me brings the freshness of air the crisp mornings with spice tea and evenings after a day of work. I find it hard to transition to a winter spell without autumn. Living in Texas sometimes you have a short version but more north by October the mornings have the change. I may dwell in more of a city I drive by pastures and notice how the cows start changing. Right now recovery from foot surgery so I will have time…to think about soup cooking in crock pot..spice tea…and sweaters. Mostly I sits and have time to enjoy the change in life.
Congratulations! YOU WON, MELISSA! email me with the name and address for the MaryJanesFarm Magazine subscription!
Ah, you’ve had foot surgery as well. How’s YOUR foot!?
Rebekah you have given most of the reasons anyone would love Autumn. I love the cooler days and nights. I am not a fan of hot humid weather. My chickens seem to like it better now too as they don’t have to hunt for shade so much. My coop also has feathers everywhere but we are still getting 3 or more eggs a day. I have 10 hens, no roosters. Our neighborhood has a group of free running hens and roosters that we see and hear every morning searching for bugs and good things to eat. I love watching them. I believe Autumn is my favorite time of year. Our leaves are not changing to those beautiful orange-yellow leaves as yet but soon. Some leaves are falling already though, they are huge and from my neighbors tree. It is much nicer walking now too. I love to see our cloud ridden sky, the different shapes and sizes. Wish it could last longer than it does.
I LOVE fall! Growing up in the southwest, I never got to experience the changing of seasons until I moved to the midwest as an adult. Now my hubby and I travel the country as truck drivers and we get to watch seasons change in all their glory, all across the country. The myriads of brilliantly colored leaves and fields ready for harvest make for wonderful scenery as we drive!
I love Fall. My favorite thing is all the color.
Hi Rebekah! Glad you are up and around again! I love the cooler weather of fall but I do not love the fact that winter comes right behind it. If I could have spring, summer and fall and skip winter all together I would be a very happy camper. I love all the fall foods and the yummy breads and pies, but this year I am trying to be careful because I have been on a plan that has helped me loose 15 pounds so far and it does not include sugar….I know I will give in a little but not a lot. I love that I am done with the canning for the season, we had a great garden this year but with that came a lot of canning and I am glad to be done. And because I am done with the canning my favorite part of fall is that I will have more time to quilt and crochet! We have blue birds that come back to us every spring, this year they made a home in a new bird house we put up for them. I did not realize all your kitties are black and white. Is that by chance or choice? Thanks for the chance to win a subscription to MaryJane’s magazine. Mine has been up for a while and I have just been picking them up from the bookstore when I remember to. Happy fall!
The smell of leaves “baking” in the sun!
I live in southern California now, but I truly miss the autumns of my northwest youth. The ruby leaves, the smell of woodsmoke, and the glittering morning frost were the things I treasured most!
I love the cooler days and the wonderful colors of Fall!
I love everything about this magazine.
Would be great to win a subscription.
Thanks
That last picture did it for me. There’s something about walking out into that very first frost that I love. It whispers, “I’m here! I’m here!”
I love the crispness of fall, and all the colors remind me of jewels like topaz, rubies, amethyst, jasper, emeralds, and then the dew drops on them are like sparkling diamonds. in the morning. I love that it begins a season that people start to think of others and seem more kind and generous getting ready for the holiday Thanksgiving. Be Blessed. Neta.
I love fall! Blustery weather, fires, hot coffee and having the garden done. LOL
Spring is next, anticipation of new plants to try, flowers, and warm gentle breezes.
I think there is something about all the seasons. Especially in the Pacific Northwest where I live. But fall….magical
What I love about fall is you can smell it in the air, and a gentle breeze once again returns. I don’t know where it goes, but I sure miss it when it’s gone. So many summertime chores are outside and must be done in the heat. It’s stifling and you wish for a breeze, but there’s none. Then fall rolls around and the gentle breeze comes back. You fill your lungs to capacity with the it’s coolness and find relief. You just can’t help but smile and say, “Welcome home, Oh how I missed you!”
The thing I love about Autumn is the changing color of the leaves. Of course, this is more noticeable in the northern US than it is here in Texas where I now live, but I just returned from a trip to Michigan, where the colors were starting to “bloom” on the trees.
It’s the show that Mother Earth puts on…not only the vibrant leaves, here in Maine, but the smells in the air, the crisp temperatures, the rivers running just a little slower. It’s a beautiful gift, a time to slow down a bit after the hussle of summer visitors, a time of preparation for the harsh winter to come…and of course it’s time to kick up a pile of leaves and laugh out loud even at 65 years old.
Fall is my favorite season in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, harvest time is an abundance of colors everywhere I look, orange pumpkins, red apples, green pears and the ochre of dried corn stalks. Since I am an artist it is a sharp contrast for my eyes.
Thanks for this wonderful post. Autumn truly is a magical time of year. Thanks for the chance to win a subscription!
1) Fall flowers – yellow and blue or orange and white. How about the rusty red color mums and the purple asters. All so Beautiful.
2) Fall weather – crisp, clear and clean air. Soft, sweet rain and cool, cozy nights full of bright stars. Great for fires in the fireplace.
3) Fall clothes – wool, corduroy, heavy denim, scarfs and turtlenecks along with jackets, sweaters and coats. So snuggly.
4) Fall festivals and holidays – Halloween and Thanksgiving…enough said.
I’m sad when Summer fades away but oh, the beautiful colors of the leaves! And pumpkin….pumpkin everything! The smell of burning cinnamon candles. Decorating with all the gorgeous things for Fall.
Ahhhh. Moment .. That is autumn, it has been a HOT summer in North Carolina, this weekend is our first taste of cooler weather! Apples, and a mountain drive to pick them.. And we are making our sorghum syrup…. Happy Autumn!!
To me fall means cool crisp air. Rides to the mountains to see the leaves changing. Pumpkins, gourds and mums for the porch. It is the most beautiful of all seasons.
To me fall means cool crisp air. Rides to the mountains to see leaves changing. Buying pumpkins, gourds and mums for the porch. It is the most beautiful of all seasons.
I love all the fall colors that show up. The leaves on the trees, the smells, and the fall flowers
I love Fall, it is my Birthday time, all of the colors, apple smells and cooler weather. My garden is in full readiness.
Sweater weather and fall festivals!
Fall, being able to sit-a-bit without rushing to plant,harvest,can,mow etc of summer. Also sitting out on a cold night and watching the big orange harvest moon rising. What a sight. Everything is a little bit quieter in the fall before all the Holidays.
I know the contest is over but just wanted to comment.
Seeing the black walnuts bring back so many memories of my grandparents. They had trees and my grandfather would deal with messiness of them. Then my grandmother would sit and dig out the nuts when they were ready. I miss the delicious Black Walnut Pound Cake she used to make. But not as much as I miss my grandparents.
I really love the Mary Jane’s Farm magazine and I want to subscribe but I can’t see where or how to do it online. Can someone help? Also, I want to enter the Giveaway!
I am a city farmgirl who once was a country farmgirl and still loves the country!