Autumn Thoughts for Wednesday Hodgepodge

I've prepared a few posts ahead of time this week. Isn't that a nice convenience offered by Blogger?

I like it very much.

Here is the weekly hodgepodge from This Side of the Pond

1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)...what's your favorite thing about fall? 

The entire Autumn ambiance.  The chilly weather, the sunny slightly warm days and chilly nights of early Autumn.  The beautiful oranges, reds, neon yellows,deep mauve and burgundy colors of the trees are so beautiful.  The red berries, the deep green of the cedars and holly trees, the scent of the Balsam and pine are a promise of more good things to come in the season.    Smoke from fireplaces and the scent of the burning wood is cozy.    The sound of owls in the woods late at night is both spooky and comforting all at one time!    Caramel apples, hot tea, chili beef stew and soups of all kinds with hot fresh bread and butter are delicious and warming on chilly nights.    Thanksgiving and Halloween, the Feast of Tabernacles, all the wonderful lovely things of the Autumn time of year.

2. What's one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list?  

A trip to Plimouth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg.  Just an afternoon by the ocean and then dinner of pizza on the boardwalk is exciting and makes for precious memories.  If I could a ride on the carousel now restored since Sandy harmed it would be just wonderful.

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don't eat? Which one have you had most recently? 

There are none I don't eat though I can cautious with cranberries because of the sugar.  Most recently I had some apple sauce.

Apple pie is the top for me then hot mashed squash with butter, sweet potatoes with cinnamon are all great.

4. 'Fall is proof that change is beautiful' is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate. 

The change of seasons is beautiful as we see so many dramatic things happen in nature. There is good change and bad change though and it depends on what kind of change we are seeing or going through.  Some changes are not good at all.

5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf peep somewhere this fall?  

Anywhere you go here you will see the leaves changing.   New Jersey is mostly forest though most have no clue that this is true.  We are a farming and heavily forested state so you see all kinds of trees chaning to all sorts of marvellous colors in Autumn.   Since there are woods and water all around me I can just look outside and see the colors.

I do know of people who drive up into the Watchung Mountains or the Apalachinan trail here to see the leaves turning and of course the drive up into the Poconos is not all that far.

We used to go to the Poconos in Autumn all the time and stop to visit my mother's hmetown and the graves of my family there.    I would shop in the store there for Turkey Molasses, tomato jam, dried corn for corn pudding.   Her hometown is on the top of a moutain in Schuylkill county. (Skoo-kull).

Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping...of those listed which would you most like to visit?    Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

I think Stowe Vermont would be best for me.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

Here is Autumn in the back yard last year: