September is a time to be outside

The nights have finally started to get cold and the days are rapidly growing shorter. I'm sorry if you're of the camp that laments cold nights and dark mornings towards the end of summer. The changing of the seasons is always really exciting to me.

This is the time of year when my father in law brings over very fresh goose meat. The goose stew has already been made, highly enjoyed, and shared. Like any once a year event I've begun to really look forward to goose season.

This is the time of year when apple orchards are filled with almost ripe fruit and dare I say it's just about cider and pie season. Fresh hot apple cider... ooh, need I say more!

It feels too early still some leaves have begun their color change already. I'm sure there will be several hot days left in the year but I think Autumn is upon us. Little Abe and I are ready to head back outside more often. The mosquitoes should start to dwindle here soon. I think our thick Michigan humidity is just about to break (or at least the cool temperatures will make it bearable). The wasps should slow and yellow jacket season should about be over. Sweatshirt weather is my absolute favorite weather and it's just about here.

I hope to pack in all the most beautiful things I can think of during these next few months of Autumn: listening to bird and bug sounds while enjoying the cool breeze or a hot evening fire. Star gazing. Leaf watching. Adventurous and non-adventurous walks together, hiking, and leaf collecting. Outside adventures with friends like apple picking, farm visiting (we're doing that today), and fishing. Summer was spectacular this year. Now I'm ready for fall.

This little dude went fishing with his Papa a few days ago.
Here's the first fish he ever caught. The fun never stops!

 

Guess What Happened This Week

One melon.

One perfectly ripe, fully developed, Bidwell Casaba melon.

We're so proud of our one lonely fruit.

And for a completely honest review (after all the many posts I put into this one melon) it does not taste like heavenly orange sherbet as it was reviewed in a melon publication. It does in fact, as I'd slightly suspected taste just like what I remember cantaloupe tasting like as a child. The reason I say, "as a child" is because I don't like cantaloupe. I may have distorted memories of the situation but I feel as though my mom tried to get me to like it all throughout childhood. It seems like it always showed up in fruit salad or as the fruit side at dinner and for some reason I always gave it a taste with unchanging results. Yuck!

Well to my long gone cousin, John Bidwell leader of the first wagon train to California, founder of Chico California, Senator, General, Mr. Bidwell you have accomplished a task that my very own mother was continually unable. I really, really enjoyed this cantaloupe type melon, this Bidwell Casaba, truly and completely enjoyed it. Not only did I enjoy the story, not only did I enjoy the family connection, the history growing in my very own backyard, and sharing my adventures with the bloggosphere, but I enjoyed a melon that I've never once liked. Thank-you.

I of course scooped out all the seeds and am saving them for future gardening endevours. Maybe one day I'll find a better spot in my yard or figure out how to clean up the soil that I suspect is awful in the bed behind the garage where I grew this lonely fruit (and it's neighboring lonely pie pumpkin). Whatever the case, I now have a plethora of seeds (still many of the ones I purchases this year and now all of the (viable) seeds from this guy) so I shouldn't ever have to purchase more.

The what happened to August, wait, it's actually September??? Update

July was pretty great and seemed really long.
August was very busy but not in as much of a memorable way as July and woosh, it's gone.
Apparently now it's September? Not sure when that happened.

On the financial front, I cannot seem to keep on top of tracking spending when I'm really busy. I haven't even looked at August's number's yet (seeing as I just realized it was over) and I really don't want to. Sigh.

We're still enjoying the great outdoors and it's been staying really warm here but we haven't been out nearly as much since it's (as we call it) yellow jacket season now. Those darn wasps are out in full force. Luckily little Abe hasn't been stung this year (and he is far past the bee phobia) but I was stung a few weeks back. Darn that thing hurt for like 12 hours.

We really enjoyed summer this year. The sun, warmth, water, and gardening just to name of few of the joys were fabulous but I'm giddy about autumn's rapid approach. Fall is my favorite time of year. I missed both strawberry picking and blueberry picking season this year but I am bound and determined to take little Abe to an apple orchard now that apple season is upon us. It's been a few years since we went and he doesn't remember ever going. This year we must go!

Back to the crazy that is our awesome life!
Hopefully I'll check back sooner than later.