Leaves and apple rinds

I love summer. But with the sun comes nights too hot to sleep comfortably, skin too white and flabby to expose, water too precious to waste, and flies too many to kill. And then one evening you step outside and there's a different scent on the air, an earthiness that makes you want to dig out the crockpot. A cooler breeze comes in, whisking out the propane fumes from barbecue season and filling your lungs with a robust eau du compost that speaks of healthy decay. This is the most fleeting, photogenic, and vibrant season. Captain Rio and I have taken inspiration and dived right in, head first, arms outstretched, and embraced the fall like it may never come back. And with this rapidly changing climate, it's hard to say for sure.



We hit the final farmer's market of the season. I stocked up on butternut squash to bake and puree for my little pumpkin, I loaded up on peppers and tomatoes, and I invested in some local, grass fed buffalo and pork (side note, you MUST read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Our culture has got to get its meat-eating habits under control. Do some research, find your local farms, pay them a visit and support their sustainable grass farming methods. I insist.) And APPLES!!! I filled the stroller up so high with produce that it nearly covered Magnolia. I had great fun peeling them and seeing how long I could get the rinds. Then I hung the rinds out for the squirrels
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Then I busted out an old art project idea from my youth, made familiar to me again by a groovy mom soon joining the team at gDiapers. I pulled out the wax paper, shaved some crayons, and River and I made leaf collages from the beauties we had gathered on our walk earlier in the day.

And the butternut squash puree? Divine. Just ask Maggie.