Thursday Thirteen

Autumn is one of my two favorite seasons (the other being Spring) and so I thought I'd celebrate by listing 13 reasons for this season.

1. The leaf color. Those wonderful reds, oranges, and gold from Mother Nature leave me breathless as Autumn takes over my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains.

2. Cooler weather. After a summer which had more than 50 ninety-degree days in its number, the break from the heat is exceedingly welcome.

3. School. I don't go to school anymore but I used to be quite the geek. I loved school and I miss taking classes.

4. Halloween. This is my favorite holiday although I don't really celebrate it. I have always enjoyed the scare and the idea of honoring the dead (although I don't think trick or treat quite does that). Boo!

5. Thanksgiving. Yes, Thanksgiving is still in Autumn! It's a great holiday and a wonderful reminder to count your blessings.

6. Winter squash. I love butternut squash, acorn squash... even pumpkins! Yum.

7. Turning on the heat on a chilly morning. It's like magic!

8. Watching the fog rise from Catawba Creek and Stone Coal Gap and up into the sky.

9. Seeing deer romp in the front yard, and watching young bucks with velvet turn into strapping, huge-bodied deer with horns.

10. Autumn festivals that feature apple-butter making, pumpkins, banjo music, and crafts.

11. Apples! I love apples, apple cider, apple butter, apple pie, cooked apples . . . even better than squash! Yum!

12. New television season. I haven't found much on that I care to watch but at least there is something different to see.

13. The end of humidity for a while. Thank goodness!

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here.  I've been playing for a number of years and this is my 159th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.