Finally, Fall

October is here, and it looks like (mercifully) fall has finally decided to come along with it. Don\'t get me wrong, we still have some 80-degree days in the forecast ahead, but the humidity is lower, the air is cooler in the mornings when I walk the dog, and you can\'t go more than a jack-o-lantern\'s length without someone offering you more pumpkin spice (cinnamon and nutmeg are being thrown around like confetti this time of year, and I\'m a fan). In my last blog I was wishing for fall, and this week I feel like a genie popped out of a giant pile of leaves and granted that wish. I hope I\'m not jinxing us when I say this, but I think we made it. Finally, fall.

This past Saturday, we woke up to a cloudy but delightfully cool day. Despite any plans Clint may have had for watching football, we needed a pumpkin and I had heard about a real, actual pumpkin patch just 20 minutes from our house. Serendipitous, don\'t you think? I\'m sure Clint did too (ha), so we headed out in search for gourds and anything else this beautiful autumn weather might bring with it. (It was even mild enough to wear a sweater...granted, a whisper thin sweater, but we both wore jeans without any risk of fainting from heat exhaustion, and friends, that is progress when you live in the South).

Hall Family Farm in south Charlotte has a little bit of everything: hayrides, a corn maze, the pumpkin patch, plenty of face painting and games for kids, and all kinds of delicious apple and pumpkin, and pecan deliciousness as well. If you know me at all, you know I love a gimmick, so I was giddy over all the offerings. I also have never actually seen a pumpkin growing on a vine in real life, so I was mesmerized to see the rows and rows of beautiful orange--and even some still green--pumpkins just primed for picking!

The farm had all kinds of animals  (and a sign saying that they bite, so please note my hand safely outside the fence), including goats.

This guy clearly had his fill of apple cider doughnuts. Totally worth it.

Can you tell how much fun he\'s having? Way better than watching football on the couch, to be sure.

The only thing better than an apple cider doughnut is an apple cider doughnut sundae. Warm doughnut, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce (and delicious).

We are both grinning ear to ear simply over the fact that we were outdoors and not hot! Happy fall, indeed!

I think we caught a case of fall fever from the afternoon at the farm, because Sunday we got out the Halloween decor and made the house ready for the occasion as well. If you want to meet your new neighbors, may I suggest putting a five-foot skeleton walking a bony canine companion out in your front yard? It\'s an instant conversation piece.

Mr. Bones and his dog, Fang, are also new residents on Kimblewyck Lane.

A spooky wreath and some pumpkin topiaries have the front porch ready for trick-or-treaters (or, in the meantime, Amazon deliveries)

And inside, I added a little bit of spooky to our family room as well.

We are Halloween ready (and yes, that\'s Hocus Pocus you see on TV).

In case you hadn\'t guessed, I really love this time of year. The spider webs I\'ve been dutifully cleaning around the house can now just be considered decoration, I ate pumpkin mousse for dessert last night, and the AMC network\'s glorious airing of \"Fearfest\" each year means a scary movie a day for anyone that wants one (raises hand enthusiastically). For me, fall always means we are moving closer and closer to the holiday season. First, spooky month and then turkey and dressing month, and then that holy grail of all the holidays: Christmas! I, for one, am planning on enjoying every minute of it. Finally, fall!