Sure, technically we are now in meteorological Fall and astronomical Fall is less than three weeks away, but we all know Fall is an elusive critter. It is hotter outside than it was for most of July, and now the freaking pools are closed. Take heart though, things are changing quick. The poplar leaves are starting to turn yellow, the lily pads are turning brown, and we are seriously listening to people that say "the best offense is a good defense".
Yes, there are a million things to love about the coming fall, but since this is an outdoor blog, I will refrain from talking about Oktoberfest beer and pumpkin spice candles. We might still be a few weeks away from real fall weather, but there is still plenty to do.
1) Time to get back in the woods - For the past three months, if it didn't involve swimming, most outdoor activities were pretty miserable. Now the mornings and some of the afternoons are getting more bearable and the drier weather is making the bugs not quite as bad. I actually went on a trail run this past weekend. Fortunately there were mountain bikers on the same circuit. I thanked them for knocking down all the spider webs.
2) Filling out the calendar - Fall is always a busy time, and the weeks fill up quick. Once you start filling out the dates of football games, fall break trips, hunting seasons, and Halloween activities; the free weekends start looking pretty sparse. So far I have managed to nail down some dates for a backpacking trip in November and a trail race in October. And remember on the backpacking trips, all of Tennessee State parks as well as the Smokies have gone to an online reservation system for permits. Because everyone else loves fall too (evidenced by the 500 people I saw on the AT last October), reserve your place as soon as possible.
3) Collecting fire pit firewood - In the fall, there is nothing like grilling and eating outside in the late afternoon/early evening. And there is nothing that completes those afternoons and nights like a good fire pit. Those s'mores aren't going to make themselves. And you don't want to get caught making a wimpy little fire because you are low on firewood. Sure you can buy firewood, but why would you pay $6 for 4 sticks, when you can get it free? You don't need to fell a 100 foot tree with a chainsaw, all you need is a $20 bow saw and some sweat equity. You don't have to have a lot of trees in your yard, just keep your eyes open when you are driving. With the end of the summer storms, free firewood is piled on the side of the road everywhere. I have been "salvaging" limbs off this one blown down tree in our neighborhood for weeks, and nobody has called the police yet! Sure, you look like a deranged lumberjack when you are standing on the shoulder of the road, hacking at a pile of limbs with a saw, but you won't be running to Kroger in the middle of the night to keep your backyard campfire going.
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| This is barely two or three s'mores worth |
So the frost is not quite on the pumpkins yet (and some years it never is), but this is a great time to turn off the TV and start to get outside again. The college football stuff is great, but it can get pretty repetitive. This weekend I heard several very highly paid analyst say about 100 times that Alabama was supposed to have a good football team this year. Who knew?
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