Fall is on its Way

Fall is on its way. Finally. Summer is still trying to hold on, but the mornings are crisper, and the evenings are cooling off. Except for today. Today is probably the hottest day of the year. But we’re not going to dwell on that too much. With this coming change of the seasons, I wanted to share nine of my favorite things about fall.

• Fall color
• Later sunrise
• Earlier sunset
• Cooler weather 
• Back-to-school shopping
• Pumpkin spice
• Bonfires
• Halloween
• Our anniversary

Fall Color

I love seeing the leaves changing from their summer green to the dormant colors of red, yellow, orange, and brown. Those colors add more layers to my photography, instead of the sea of green that I tend to capture in the summer months.

The Sun

For as much as I whine about the shorter days in the long Wisconsin winters, I enjoy them in the fall. I’m not even a little bit of a morning person, so the later sunrise means I can actually get up in time to photograph it, and not have to set my alarm for 4 a.m., if not earlier. It also means I can stay out to photograph the sunset on days I have to work at the day job.

Cooler Weather

Summer is not my favorite time of the year, no matter how short it is. I cannot stand the heat and my curls don’t like the humidity. And spring and fall have the perfect temperature here. It’s not so cold that I have to dress in layers to go outside for a few minutes, but it’s not unbearably hot.

Back-to-School Shopping

I am a sucker for school supplies. I have not stepped foot in a classroom in over ten years, but there’s something about a good pen that just tickles my fancy. And when the kids go back to school, all the fun notebooks come out, which I also love. And if I time it just right, I’ll get to a store when there is still a good selection, but everything is on sale.

Pumpkin Spice

I also love all things pumpkin. Except for coffee or candles. I had a bad experience one time with a pumpkin spice latte, and now I won’t touch those. And the pumpkin-scented candles don’t smell the greatest in my opinion. But pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, sign me up.

Bonfires

Bonfires are probably one of my top five favorite things in the world. But it’s been so hot and dry this summer that I don’t think we even had one. But in the fall, the nights are cooler, and a good bonfire is a comforting way to spend time outdoors while staying warm. We also use them as a way to clear up some of the weeds and brush that we collected from the summer.

Halloween

Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. Which is odd since I hate horror movies. It is the first candy holiday since Easter, and I have the biggest sweet tooth known to man. I also enjoy decorating for the holiday with all the cute spooky items that I’ve collected over the years.

Our Anniversary

Marrying my husband has been and will always be my favorite thing about the fall. We got married in late October, and it is the perfect time of year to travel in Wisconsin and throughout the country. Most places aren’t as busy as they are in the summer, yet if we get lucky the weather is still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors. And we use our anniversary as our excuse to take a big vacation. 

Is fall on its way by you? What do you enjoy about the season? Or is it not your favorite season? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.