My Favorite Fall Things

While fall technically started on Sept. 23, there have been signs of the seasons changing for a while. As early as July you started to see ‘Back to School’ sales at the stores and though school’s start was , the kids are in full swing of the school year now.

We’ve suffered through a recent bout of rain, which has certainly put a damper on events scheduled around town and other fall fun, but now that the sun is shining and the temperatures are feeling more fall-like, I’ve started thinking about some of my favorite things about fall.

Pumpkins, Pies, Apples and Mazes

Many of us weren’t worried about this year’s pumpkin crop when Irene hit, but she packed a wallop there as well. According to CBS News, Irene’s damage can cause a shortage of pumpkins this year. Driving by , there are plenty of pumpkins ready to go.

The hay maze is also open daily and the corn maze is open on the weekends. We did both last year, along with the giant corn maze at Lyman Orchards, and we all really enjoyed them.

Of course, there’s also the farm market with fresh produce and homemade pies. Apples are pick-your-own. And the best thing about picking apples? Homemade apple crisp with extra crisp!

PickYourOwn.org is another great resource for finding a local pumpkin patch, corn maze or other farm market information. It also has tips for picking in-season fruits, recipes, tutorials on making jam, canning and more.

Fall Photo Shoot

Since my son was one, we’ve been going to Strawberry Hollow Farm (2171 Post Rd., Guilford; 203-458-3579) to for a fall photo shoot with our friends. There’s a giant pumpkin patch with cornstalks, a pretty pond in the background and, my favorite, the giant cornucopia.

Now my son is six, my stepdaughter is 10, my daughter is four and my son is 10 months so it’s been really fun to compare the pictures of the kids and their friends over the years. Check out the photo gallery to see the difference five years can make!

Scarecrows

We tried making our own scarecrow last year but couldn’t quite figure out how to make it stay together or how to make sure the head (a purple plastic watering can with a  face–hey, you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got!) would stop rolling off.

This weekend, we figured it out. Just head to Bishop’s Orchards where Branford’s Community Dining Room hosts a event. For $10, you get everything you need.

My kids picked out an interesting outfit–floral pants and oversized Christmas sweater–for our new friend. The kids stuffed him full and the volunteer helped tie him together using the legs of the pantyhose that also served as the head (could’ve used that tip last year!). 

Not up for making your own scarecrow? You can check out the , which includes one from and another from .

Crockpot Cooking

While I love crockpot cooking all year, there is something about having a meal filling your house with yummy smells throughout a cool day. Though the past few days have felt more like July than October, those chilly days are coming and I’ll be cooking up some , , and !