The smell of fall

I absolutely love fall.

Its like suddenly, you walk outside and there is a completely different scent in the air -- the scent of leaves getting ready to fall.

Of course, that means pulling out the sweaters, but by three o'clock, you're so hot you wish you'd worn a t shirt instead.

Folks are starting to fire up their wood stoves and fireplaces in the evenings, adding the scent of burning wood to air, too.

Don't forget about pumpkin patches and the fun that can be had running through the field looking for just the right one.

Of course, I'm one of those people who likes to pick out a couple of small 'sugar' pumpkins to make pies from.

Yes, I peel the pumpkin, cook it down and make pies throughout the winter. Homemade crust and all.

I remember when my kids were little and it came time to carve pumpkins at our house.

My son, of course being a boy, jumped right in and delighted in the slimy feel of the pumpkin 'guts.'

My daughter, on the other hand, was a delicate little flower who really hated getting her hands dirty much less icky from sticking them inside a giant orange ball.

I remember the story my grandmother used to tell me about she and my grandfather, the first Halloween when they were just dating.

Grandma had carved a pumpkin and she and grandpa put it in the back window of his car and drove to Worland for their date.

I have visions of them traveling down the road with this lit pumpkin peeking out the back window.

And then there's spiced apple cider.

No, there isn't a candle or wax melt in the world that really compares to that little bag of spices bubbling away in the apple cider on the stove.

Yes, we have to spend a lot of our weekend time raking up leaves and pulling the dead flowers from the beds, but there's nothing like the sound of children giggling as they jump in a huge pile of leaves.

Or the sound of tiny voices crying "Trick or Treat" at your front door, all wearing their costumes that took weeks to pick out.

And soon, the smells of fall will give way to the sounds and smells of winter.

Let's enjoy these few fall weeks while we have them.

Go on a hayride. Go pick a pumpkin. Build a fire.

Dig out those cozy wool socks and enjoy a cup of spiced cider in front of the fire.

But most of all, close your eyes, sniff the air and smile because its going to be a whole year before we get to experience all the smells of fall again.