Ahhh....Fall.

Fall. My favorite time of the year. There is just something magical about it. From the ever changing colors, to the scent in the air, it is filled with beauty.
I have always preferred fall to other seasons. Spring is great. It offers a welcome reprieve from the bleakness of winter, and the rebirth of plants is always nice. Summer is awesome. I love the heat and the fun of summer. Long days and warm nights make for so much fun. Winter sucks. Sorry, but you can preach about the frozen beauty and holidays all you want, they do nothing for me. I loathe being cold and winter is simply too much work. From getting up early to scrape, shovel and defrost, to all the obnoxious bundles of clothes to simply keep  your teeth from chattering. Winter can suck it. But Fall... Oh joyous Fall. YOU are the season of my heart. The colors are beyond belief. I have lived in Michigan all my life, and I NEVER tire of seeing this magic happen. The palette of fall is rich with reds, oranges and yellows. It is breathtaking in its glory. And it changes literally day to day. It's like waking up to a whole new world. I love it. I now live in an apartment, so I don't get to rake, but I miss it. No really, I do. Mostly, I miss raking the gorgeous leaves into giant piles and jumping in. (Oh yes, I still do this.) It brings back the kid in me, and I doubt I will ever not enjoy this simple pleasure.
Fall is pure magic. The weather is perfect for being outside. Jeans, a comfy hoodie and your favorite boots are the preferred outfit. Days spent at cider mills enjoying warm cider and caramel apples. Nights in front of a cozy fire. There is nothing bad about fall. And let's not forget Halloween. The BEST holiday of all time. Yeah, I said it. The best. You can take Christmas and its overdone, wasteful, commercialized "joy" and stick it where the sun don't shine. (Oh that's right, it's during winter, so that could be anywhere.) Halloween is where it's at. Let's just hit a few key points:
1. There's candy. And lots of it.
2. The decorations are a hoot.
3. You get to dress up. This means you can be anything or anyone you want. Seriously... how great is that?!
4. Did I mention there's candy?

So yes, I ADORE Fall. I love it. I would marry it and have its red, orange and yellow babies. I wish it could last longer, but alas... that is all part of the allure. You have to enjoy it while you can, because it WILL be gone quickly. And then it's winter.... Gross.