Fall is here!!!! And it’s my favorite season of the year. To me, there is nothing like the beauty of the leaves changing colors, the air being crisp, and the weather perfect for outdoor activities.
I enjoy seeing all the fall decorations throughout our community, the mums, pumpkins, fodder shock and scarecrows everywhere you look. There is nothing like watching the fields turning golden in color and orange with the bittersweet, while the farmers harvest their crops. Seeing all the round hay bales in the fields waiting to get stored in barns. I am extremely blessed to live in a rural community and get to see all this firsthand.
As for the outdoor activities, some of my favorites are:

1. Going to pick out pumpkins, whether it is at the Chillicothe Farmer’s Market or at a local farm pumpkin patch. The thrill of finding that perfect orange orb to carve into a masterpiece. Okay, maybe not a masterpiece but a funny or semi scary piece. And who doesn’t like the gooey feeling of the filling inside the pumpkin?
2. Apple picking at Hirsch’s Fruit Farm, our local orchard. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away but not the dentist because I enjoy caramel around my apples and Hirsch’s has the dipping caramel!
3. A fall picnic provides the opportunity to slow down during this busy season, sit a while and even hike a trail. We have five state parks, a national park, our county park district, and our city parks, in our community. With so many choices, you are bound to find the perfect spot. Then fix yourself a thermos with hot soup or beverage, my favorite is hot chocolate, pack a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich or whatever your favorite is for lunch, add some crackers and cheese and viola you are set for a nice picnic. Don’t forget, you always need to pack a few staples such as cups, napkins, and silverware.
4. Sitting around a Bon Fire is probably one of my most favorite activities. Sitting in chairs or bales of straw around a fire, enjoying time with friends and family, listening to music, roasting wieners and marshmallows over the flames, a nice chill in the air and just time to relax, reflect, unwind, and fellowship with everyone.
   The bottom line is just finding a place where you are surrounded by the beauty of nature and give yourself permission to do nothing but take in the view. The splendor of fall foliage.