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Welcome the First Day of Fall

My sunflowers are still blooming into the autumn

 Happy first day of fall! Today is the Autumnal Equinox, and the smoke from wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and California has finally left the Treasure Valley. I woke up on Sunday morning to beautiful clear blue skies, a welcome sight after several weeks of smoke so thick that the sun barely peeked through. After a week of air quality alerts in Boise, which made it hard to exercise outdoors, this past weekend prompted lots of outdoor recreation, and there was a hint of fall in air. 

I love welcoming the autumn and noticing the cool, crisp mornings, changing fall colors, and taking delight in small things like hot coffee, various pumpkin recipes, and the beginning of a cozy season. This year looks a lot different for all of us, and routines have been upended, but fall is here, and choosing to mark time with the seasons can keep you in touch with nature and provide a sense of reassurance in an otherwise tumultuous season of life. 

Here are a few easy ways to delight in the beginning of autumn:

  • Buy some fall-flavored coffee to make for yourself at home, like Starbucks' Maple Pecan or Pumpkin Spice. Caribou Coffee also makes a magical ground coffee called Pumpkin Love. 
  • Take a fall hike in the Boise foothills. Over the weekend I started seeing beautiful yellow rabbitbrush along the trails near Hull's Gulch Reserve, and some of the gulches in the foothills are starting to feel like fall amongst the cottonwood trees. 
  • Make a fall-inspired recipe. Some of my favorites include Trader Joe's Fall Turkey Chili with Pumpkin, Maple Pecan Muffins, and Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars.

Happy Autumn! 


Autumn walk along the Boise River 



Looking towards the beautiful Boise foothills 


Comments

  1. Some pumpkin spice is in the mail to you right now! Expect it in a few days.

    ReplyDelete

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