Fall has arrived!

Okay, so I LOVE fall.  The school year has started, the weather is cooling down, there's a smell in the air I just can't describe, and it's just a happy time of year.  Oh, and did I mention apples?!  I love apples.

Fall is possibly my favorite season, even though I enjoy all 4 seasons for various reasons.  Fall reminds me each year of my childhood excitement going back to school, doing Halloween activities at school/church (i.e. Harvest Festival or Pumpkin Party), Thanksgiving and gathering with family! It's the perfect middle ground between the scorching heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter.

One thing I miss about California is the dry weather in fall.  Yes, there was always that one week when it poured in mid-to-late October, but the rest of fall in California was typically dry.  Oregon fall?  Not so much.  It's usually wet, wet, and did I mention wet?  Well, this year has been a fabulous back to school treat!  We have had almost no rain the entire month of September, and coming into the first week of October, the forecast looks dry, too!  I cannot say clearly enough how absolutely ecstatic about this I am. 

I know my students are loving the weather, too, because they all DREAD inside recess days.  Little do they know that the teachers aren't thrilled about it either.  Especially during the first lunch recess.  When there are 4 classes crammed into the gym, the teachers cringe and pray for time to move faster.  Well, I do anyways.  There is absolutely nothing like 70+ children running, screaming, throwing bouncy balls, and hiding behind bleachers to make your ears bleed and your stomach churn.  Okay, maybe it's not quite that bad.  I will say, though, that it's pretty terrible to have that many children between 4 and 8 in the gym all at once.  That's just a little too much for my liking midday.  :)

So, needless to say, dry weather in the fall is a rare commodity in Oregon, and I am pleased that we are able to enjoy it!  I hope, though, that it doesn't push our winter weather back too far.  Last year, we had a snow day the day before spring break started.  That was bizarre, unexpected, and a little ridiculous.  I would like to avoid that in 2013.  Of course, that's assuming the Mayan calendar's end doesn't mean the end of the world, too.  Not that I believe any of that.  It's just one of those things people mention because everyone knows that someone out there does actually believe that.

Another thing I love about fall is that I can actually start wearing long sleeves!  I like my long sleeve shirts, but I have to store them most of the year.  It's not quite cool enough yet this year for me to pull them all out and start wearing them in my daily wardrobe, but I've worn a couple in attempt to get the fall routine started.  My classroom this year is a sauna, though.  That's without students in it, too.  Add 31 more bodies to an already HOT room, and believe me, you're wishing you were wearing a robe, slippers, and nothing else.  That would be in the steam filled (NOT student filled) room, of course.  No, I don't wear a robe and slippers in my classroom.  That would not go over well with anyone, especially me!

Apples!!!  I tend to eat an apple every day at lunch.  Well, at least weekdays.  My weekend routine is not quite the same.  Oh, well.  I love apples, but I do have favorites.  Not all apples are created equal.  Most people know that Red Delicious apples are kind of boring.  They have a wonderful red color, but the apples themselves are not so tasty.  Galas, Fujis, Braeburns, etc. are better tasting, but not overly flavorful (in my opinion).  Granny Smiths are super tart, and that's great when you're in the right mood.  Jazz apples are my favorites for pies.  I think they have just enough tart and just enough sweet to make the pies just that much more enjoyable to eat.   Now, if I'm going to eat the apple raw and as it is, I'm going to look for something with a good strong flavor.  The apples I tend to gravitate to for that are Pink Lady and Honeycrisp.  These two apples are distinct from each other in color, flavor, and often size.  Pink Lady apples are a bit smaller, they are a pinky-red color, and they have a sharper tart hint to their flavor.  They still have some sweetness to them, but the tartness comes through as well.  Honeycrisps are often larger (in my experience), yellow/green/red variations, and are sweet.  I don't exactly know why the word "honey" is in the name.  I don't taste honey when I eat a honeycrisp.  They are, however, incredibly delicious.  They are probably my #1 favorite apple.  I haven't tried baking with them yet, because I always eat them before I get the chance.  I don't know if the flavors would be as strong after baking, but maybe I will buy a few intentionally to bake into a pie or cobbler.

Pumpkin is also wonderful to bake with.  I like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, etc.  The thing about pumpkin, though, is that I like to wait until at least mid-October to start using or eating it.  I haven't even indulged in a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks yet!  In a couple weeks, I'll cave.  It's just not time yet!

Did I mention that I love fall?  What are some of your favorite fall things?