We are rounding out our first complete Fall in Oklahoma and what a beautiful Fall it has been this year. There are so many understated things in Oklahoma, Fall is one of them.
Before we get any further let me give you some helpful background information on my experience with Fall. I grew up in Southern California where August was hot, September was hotter. October had some cool days (usually the coldest day was on the 10th when I planned my birthday bonfire in Huntington Beach) but it mostly hovered around the 80s. Then you went through November hopeful for a day in the 70s and then came December when you finally got to bust out that scarf set you got out for Christmas the year before to wear on those coastal mornings that were in the 50s and weren’t surprised if Christmas Day was a 77 degree day with shining sun.
I spent the last 5 years in Northern Colorado where you were hot in July, hot in August, cool and windy in September and were shoveling snow sometime in October. Also, interestingly, if you didn’t see the colors change in September, then you missed it. From my experience, you went from Summer to Winter and then there were some Fall-ish days thrown in between to give you a break. But it is definitely the state where you keep your flip flops and your snow boots next to the door during Fall. That is not an exaggeration or tall tale you hear from the Weather person.
So, why two paragraphs of background? For this sentence:
My first Fall in Oklahoma has been my first real Fall.
It has been great. There has been sunshine, and cooler temperatures, and rain and rain and mud and the leaves have changed to display the most quintessential autumnal colors. Dozens and dozens of pears have ripened and fallen off of our tree. Deer like to hang out in our backyard and eat those fallen pears, as long as our dog is nowhere to be seen. Eggs are plentiful from our chickens. Halloween was cool but it was not snowy, and thank Goodness the rain skipped for the day that particular day.
My husband pointed out to me the other day that we have now lived in Oklahoma to see the grass be brown, then green and back to brown. I cannot believe we have lived here for 7 months now. Christmas is in 37 days you guys. 37 days. I did most of my shopping online yesterday. I’m not waiting in the lines this year, I’m not sitting by my phone for the best Amazon deals. I have specific things I want purchase for my kids and I am not going to miss out on them. I am already getting a good deal on each item so I am scoring on those pre-Black Friday sales.
The last 5 years I have decorated for Christmas as soon as Halloween was over because, like I said before, in Colorado November felt like Winter so Christmas made sense to me in November. Not this year. This year I am taking it slow and savoring my Fall and golden colors. I have really really enjoyed it. I also love that it is cold enough here that I still have a good reason to make my kids new hats this year. I am looking into making my kids socks this year too, which I have never done. I have only knit myself a few pairs. But again, it is nice to live somewhere that they still need those woolens because it is that cool on a daily basis.
Also, later today I am meeting up with someone to buy a pound of pecans from their property. How cool is that?! I will definitely be posting more on that later this week or maybe next week. But does it get any more autumnal than that?
Anyways, I will let you go. I have pecans to buy soon <3