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.