Autumn in the Northwest

I love the fall, and we've had some really beautiful days - crisp mornings, warm afternoons...the last gasp of nice weather before the wet sets in. My sweetie and I took a day last weekend and just enjoyed the sun and the harvest time by visiting a pumpkin patch and farm store on the way up to Mt. Hood. It was glorious, and though I often find myself drooling at magazine articles about such outdoor extravaganzas in the North Eastern United States, the Northwest took first place last weekend, hands down!

Though we didn't hunt pumpkins, we came away with some farm grown apples, pears, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, home made caramels and a little popcorn. Then we drove into Hood River, sat outside at a bistro table and had a wonderful lunch and then browsed the yuppy stores till our meter ran out of $$. Perfect timing. Oh, and of course, I found a bead store and managed to acquire a few unusual bits and pieces that I had to bring home.

It was a great day, and especially knowing that my sweetie really wanted to be home shoveling the last of a pile of bark dust and mowing the lawn one more time before the rains arrive, I felt especially pampered. But he smiled all the way and the little mini vacation was just what we needed. Thank you God for those simple little things that bring joy into our lives.