The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 


   For many people the most wonderful time of the year is  Christmas. For me, it's fall. 

   There are many reasons why I love this time of year so much. today I'd like to share a few with you.

    This is apple season. Apples are my favourite fruit and I live in a part of the country where apples are grown which means I can get get them fresh. I've even picked apples myself a few times. I like pairing apples and cheese which is sometimes my lunch at work. I like apple crisp too and have been known to eat it for breakfast. I have a couple recipes for apple cake which are good. I also like to make apple sauce with apples that have gone soft and are not crisp as I would like.

   My favorite apple is Keepsake. It is a small sweet apple that stores well. They don't ripen until mid October and it's hard to find because it's not a popular as it used to be. Fortunately there are many other varieties that I like.

   I also enjoy apple cider. A few days ago, we had an apple cider slush. it was really flavorful.  C asked what apples were in the cider and was told it was a mix of apples from the University of Minnesota. The best cider I ever had was from a coffee shop in Little Canada about 20 years ago. It was sweet , but not too sweet and had a nice mix of spices with a little orange flavour. I keep hoping I will find something similar some day. (The coffee shop no longer exists.)

   I like the changing leaf colours. Anyone who knows me knows that I like colour. I like all the different colours of the trees and how it is different from year to year. I like the way the leaves crackle when you step on them. Back when I was younger some people burned leaves and the smell of the smoke was something I always associated with fall.

   I like the cooler temperatures. I know many people with disagree with me on this. I like wearing sweaters and jackets. I like the fact that the cooler temps mean I'll have a better chance of getting a full nights sleep. No more waking up at 3 AM overheated. 

   I also like fall festivals. I like looking at vendor booths and seeing what people have crafted. I like watching parades and knowing that those in school bands aren't sweating to death in their uniforms. I like the fact that most of the time it is just the right temp for eating outside.

   Just a few reasons why is is the most wonderful time of the year.


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