Fall At Last!

     This past Wednesday brought with it the moment I have been waiting many long months for.  Fall is here again!  I love everything about this time of year.  Fall means cooler days, sweater wearing and leaf changing.  It also could potentially mean less whining from me as I embark on more outdoor adventures.  I can't promise that, but it could happen.

     I ushered in fall with good friends, a picnic and a hike.  I dressed for the occasion by wearing sandals with a back strap.  Flip flops would have been just plain silly.  My long skirt may not have been the perfect choice but it got me through.  My dear friend, Lisa and her kids, Logan and Grace met me, Ginger and Oliver at Mills Mansion.

Mills Mansion

Mills Mansion is a local historical site along the Hudson River that has beautiful trails and large open grassy spaces.  Without a single gripe from me, we walked for an hour and a half!  I loved seeing Ginger and Grace walking hand and hand and listening to the boys chatting about Legos and Star Wars.  Lisa and I were able to catch up after a summer too busy to see each other.  The best part?  I wasn't the one to ask to stop hiking!  That's right!  It was one of the children!  

     We walked back on the trail until we reached our cars where our picnic lunches were waiting.  We spread our old blankets out on a large open field under the trees and enjoyed our food.  There was so much giggling and chatter that it made my heart feel good.  When we finished eating, the children began a game of Apples to Apples.  Lisa and I continued to enjoy our uninterrupted opportunity to talk.  Perfection.  

     There were lots of hugs good bye and promises to meet up again soon.  For a moment I almost caught myself wishing the weather would stay this reasonable so we could have more outside days like this.  Almost.  

Lunar Eclipse

     Fall also brought with it an amazing phenomenon called the Supermoon.  My understanding of this is limited, but I believe it means the moon was closer to the earth than ever and something eclipsed at the same time.  What I do know is my husband lives for this stuff.  He has been known to get up in the middle of the night to see meteor showers and other astronomical activity.  Since those things fall into the category of outdoor adventures, I never partake.
The night of the Supermoon I checked in with my daughter, Daisy, who is in South Carolina attending college.  She loves being outdoors, so I asked her if she was going to observe the eclipse.  She was bummed because it was too cloudy where she was to see it.  She suggested I go out and look at it.  In her words, "You  should go out and get your Supermoon on and blog about it".  My response, "I can't.  There is a marathon on tv of The Facts of Life".  Besides, there will be another one in 2033.

Proof

     They call Labor Day the "Unofficial End of Summer".  I was waiting with baited breath for the day when summer ended and took with it the heat and sunshine.  Unfortunately for me, Labor Day came and went and then the temperatures went up.  I am looking into making Labor day the "Official" Last Day of Summer in hopes that will change the universe's weather pattern going forward.  So far though, no luck.

Tan lines!

     As predicted, I struggled with my outdoor adventure plan for the hottest months of the year.  I have never loved the heat and I wondered how I was going to get myself outside every week now that I said I would.  So to all of you that said I couldn't do it and to all of you that said I wouldn't do it, I have proof.  I have proof that I have not only gone outside this summer but I have gone outside a lot.  My friends, I have tan lines.  I have flip flop lines on my feet and caramel colored knees.  You don't get those from staying in the ice cold awesomeness of the indoors!  Tan lines are hard earned.  I like to think of them as battle scars. As further proof, I have noticed highlights in my hair.  It is possible they are just grays, but I am calling them highlights.
     Don't get me wrong.  There were absolutely some magical outdoor moments this summer.  There were trips to the Lake House and a fantastic birthday party.  There was sitting on a restaurant's deck for hours while I caught up with a friend I hadn't seen in six years.  There was the beginning of a new cheer season for Ginger and a wonderful day with my husband and three youngest children at the county fair.  Through it all I learned a lot.  I learned that I probably will never learn to love sunshine.  I learned that sunscreen really works if you actually remember to put it on.  I also learned that my kids want me outside with them because they want to share something they love with me.  Most importantly I learned that that is reason enough to get out there.