Heard on the radio today:

"It's going to be a great week weather-wise. Highs in the high 80s, lows in the 60s all week. No rain in the forecast. I just love this wonderful, cool fall weather!"

Umm, yeah. While I agree that this week's weather is much better than previous weeks' weather, this is NOT "cool fall weather"! Not even a little!

I love fall in the North. Adore it. After a hot, humid August and early September, there is nothing better than being able to open your windows again and let the cool breeze come through your house. Real fall in Wisconsin starts in late September, or early October, depending on when Indian Summer comes around. Real fall weather is lows 60s for highs and 30s-40s at night. It's just cool enough for a sweater but not cold enough for a jacket. It's simply wonderful.

Fall up north is leaves burning in ditches along side the road. Yum. And speaking of leaves, you can't beat the fire reds of the Maples. Which of course coincides with the annual "leaf book" project at every elementary school. You know you are from the north if you know how to preserve a leaf between two sheets of wax paper!

Donald and I started our fall tradition the first year I was back in Wisconsin for college. I decided one day that I needed to carve a pumpkin, and conveniently that was the day that my lovely Corsica was not running. So, we borrowed a wagon from Brian's house and we walked all the way from Brian's house near 5 Points (if you know Janesville) to the fruit place way out on 51 South, past Burger King. I don't know why, but Donald ended up pulling me in the wagon most of the way there. It had to be at least 2 miles from Bri's house to the pumpkin place, but we had a great time. Every year after that we always went to the pumpkin place a few weeks before Halloween to get a few pumpkins to carve. That first year was the only time we walked though :o)

Mmmmm, fall. Homemade apple pie, crunchy leaves, frosty breath, yellow-orange-red wonderful fall. This is always the time of year that I want to go home because I miss it so much. Last year we were up in November, but by then the "good" fall had already passed - the trees were bare, the pumpkins were frozen, and well, it was just cold. Sadly I don't think we're going up this year for fall either. Ahhh....a girl can dream!