Falling in love, all over again

I know the rest of the country is beautiful (well, not all of it, sorry folks), but New England in the Fall brings me such joy every year that I can't imagine ever settling down anywhere else.

Fall is starting to take hold, but Summer refuses to totally relinquish its grasp. The air is crisp and cool in the morning but warms with the sun -- sweatshirts in the morning, t-shirts in the afternoon, sweatshirts again in the evening! The woods are starting to carry the odor of Autumn, but fallen leaves and pine needles are not yet fully blanketing the rocks and roots. Apples are fresh and local, including some varieties you just never see the rest of the year.

We spent the weekend in love with New England fall. Friday afternoon was a work gathering, with BBQ food and outdoor games at a state park. That evening, my brother-in-law and his family came over, bringing some homemade pies!

Saturday's plans fell through, and my wife and I spent much of the day outdoors. We went to a nearby apple orchard and got some fresh fruit, and then went for a long hike through the woods at Wells State Park. With our appetites boosted by the exertion, we went to our favorite local restaurant and ate more than we should have (and found out our regular waitress is leaving!).

Sunday was a more quiet day, with a long quiet run in the morning and an afternoon spent doing chores, watching football, and making soup out of the leftovers from Friday's dinner. I was worried after the long hike on Saturday that Sunday morning's run might be hard, but it was fine. I really do love my long run! Then, I capped off the evening with my usual Sunday night online game group, where I got a chance to chat with some friends and kill some imaginary monsters. Geeky, I know, but that's me.

So let's pretend this morning that the bathroom scale doesn't exist. Instead, I'm just thinking about how great this weekend was, and how few of these weekends we're allowed to have in our short lives.