As I drove through the middle of Homer Monday afternoon the leaves were actually falling off several trees near David and Katie’s store. It was a true sign of fall if there ever was one. I realize the temperatures still have a ways to drop before we truly sense fall in the air but I can feel it: fall is not far off.
With that in mind I wanted to share a few things which make fall my favorite time of the year:
•fall festivals which include everything from Halloween carnivals to apple celebrations to corn mazes to parades.
•the colors of falls from light brown to blazing orange to bright yellow. This is one time of the year I would truly hate to be color blind.
•pumpkin pie and any food associated with the months of September, October and November.
•high school football games once the weather begins to cool. The first games of the season are always too hot. Players struggle to stay hydrated and always run the risk of serious health issues because of the heat. Things are always much better for the players once the temperatures drops. The games are more enjoyable for fans as well.
•being able to ride down the ride without having to turn the air conditioner on. There’s something about being able to roll the car window down slightly and enjoy the fresh air without it being too stifling.
•sleeping at night with the need for the air conditioner wrecking havoc on your sinuses and causing a coughing fit when you get out of bed in the morning.
•knowing that the grass won’t need cutting much more for another year.
•daylight arriving earlier in the morning. (It makes it easier for me to get out of bed as daylight is my body’s natural alarm clock!)
•seeing signs for various political candidates dot the highways and byways (see I did work a little politics into this week’s column!).
•memories of playing football in a friend’s backyard and not worrying about getting hurt.
•seeing houses as I drive home from work decorated with fall themes including bales of hay, pumpkins, colorful flower arrangements and the like.
•homecoming bonfires and spending time with friends.
•Halloween. I’m not a big fan of candy but I am a horror movie buff. I usually spend the entire week looking through my collection, re-watching some of my favorites. A Vincent Price classic or two almost always make their way to the surface each Halloween week for viewing.
•memories of Keith Jackson calling the college football game of the week. I know he’s retired now, but there’ll never be another one like him.
•the first frost of the year and beauty that comes with it.
Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. E-mail comments about this column to him at chris@mainstreetnews.com.
