Reasons I Love Autumn

1. My birthday. While not officially part of autumn, it's always near Labor Day – the unofficial start of fall.
2. Schools start too and learning becomes en vogue again.
3. Better apples in the grocery stores.
4. Warm apple pie – another reason to love cinnamon. (And baking pies from scratch just happens to be something I'm good at.)
5. Vegetation challenges sunsets with a new palate: red, yellow, gold, deep orange, tan, brown and – my favorite color for fall – burnt umber.
6. Combines at night transform the landscape like gargantuan, nocturnal ants, as farmers keep one eye on the sky and one ear on the Weather Channel. This is a farmer's time to shine. Always makes me proud somehow.
7. The sound of leaves crunching under my shoes – because that crunching sound when I'm walking is o.k.
8. Hot chocolate – one of my favorite flavors in liquid form.
9. Soups! In autumn, they not only taste good, they help me feel good too.
10. Fireplaces. Ours comes to life, giving our Great Room new life as well.
11. Sweaters – everyone wears them; some wear them extremely well. I aspire to the latter category.
12. Colder days that get colder. The stark reality gives me permission to be inside without guilt.
13. Shorter days – my reminder to get busy living life.
14. The quiet of a dormant season heightens anticipation for seasons with longer days.

I bet there are more than 14 reasons I love autumn. What's one of yours?