"Tis the Season

No, no, no....not Christmas...Fall!  Yeah, I know you can go into almost any department store and see tinsel and tree trimmings but who can not love the beauty of Fall?

I grew up in Florida so I never had a clue what autumn was.  After I graduated from Florida State University, I moved to New England to see what it was all about.   Oh, wow, that first year was exactly how Hawthorne and Dickinson described it.  The Green Mountains covered in vibrant shades of yellows, oranges and reds.  Nothing short of brilliant.

What I didn’t get was that winter relentlessly followed what was commonly the brief respite of fall.  So, for me, fall was a huge downer because tons of snow and ice and high heating bills were right around the corner.  My first winter there it snowed on October 17th and I didn’t see the ground again until late April.  What the hell have I done?

I love the South, the beaches, the warmth....not wild about the politics but that’s just me.
After 13 years of frigid weather outside the house and inside the house, I moved to Maryland.  Soooo much more reasonable.  In 28 years, we’ve had two winters that rivaled New England.

My negative attitude toward fall has mellowed.  When the kids were little, we did the hay rides and pumpkin picking at local farms.  We’d stuff scarecrows and seat them on the front stoop.  Kevin would carve the scariest pumpkins on the street.  He would wear his Nixon mask, sending the trick-or-treaters and their parents screaming from the house!

The kids are long gone, but fall has arrived.  The days are shorter and crisper albeit warm and sunny enough to drive in the country with the top down.

Fall is a slow cooker pot roast Sunday watching the Ravens squeak out another win.  Fall saw Orioles fans glued to the American League playoffs seeing them take the Yankees to five games only to lose in the end.

Steve and I found two blue grass concerts in the area, both interrupted by pouring rain, although the weather put no damper on the music.  It was foot stomping great!  However, I was a little uncomfortable with the Confederate flags on sale.

Last weekend was the best!  We drove out to Linganore Wineries for a wine tasting.  I wasn’t sure how it worked so I asked.  “For $5, you taste 16 different wines, but for $10, you get the wines and a chocolate pairing.”  No brainer.  I’ll take the chocolate.

Sixteen wines???  I like wine but one glass makes me woozy.  Each tasting is about 1/2 ounce so it adds up to eight ounces which is more than a full glass.  Plus, really, Maryland wines?  Trust me, it’s not like California, Oregon, Australia or France.  Maryland wine is just okay....not great for one with a discerning palate.  Perfect for me who after the first two wines, probably couldn’t tell the difference.  Definitely not a wine connoisseur.

We sat down and we got a grid that described the 16 wines and the chocolates that go best with them.  I’m ready...let’s get started!  For the next hour, our waiter poured the wines and we sipped.  We actually bought two wines--a strawberry that is fabulous with chocolate and a white zinfandel.  Seriously, I don’t ever drink white zinfandel but this was dee-lish.  Of course, I have no discerning palate and it was about the 10th wine in the series.  God knows what it really tastes like!

Today, we’re off to Fresh Market to get what we need to make mulled cider.  It’s another one of those gorgeous, sunny fall days which is supposed to extend way into next week.

What’s the plan for the weekend?  Well, there’s a reggae concert at another winery.  We’re off!!!