First Day of Fall

[All Photos - The Grower's Daughter]

Happy First Day of Fall!

Yesterday, the final day of summer, was the perfect weather to send off a great season. It was sunny and 22 degrees here in Ontario, and quite literally, a perfect day.

Today, being the first day of Autumn, would technically be the perfect Fall day weather wise. There has been a steady stream of rain coming down the entire afternoon, with no signs of letting up. It's cooler, and dark, and all around gloomy.

However, I'm not complaining! It may not be the crisp, cool, and colourful day I was hoping to get for an annual short trip planned to celebrate the arrival of a favourite season, but it's perfect in it's own way.

Cozying up on a dark afternoon and chatting over hot coffee is still a very nice Fall day, and that's exactly how we spent the morning. My cousin and I have a few special holidays that we like to throw into our calender. The first being annual Spring drive which is set aside to pick up Starbucks, and head out to bask in the warming sun on a still chilly morning, while we drive through the valleys and spot early signs of spring.

Next comes the holiday we celebrated today: Our annual Fall drive. The morning begins with a stop at Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte and an accompanying Pumpkin Scone and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin (which we share of course). Our first stop is usually a favourite little farm stand called Inn The Pines. We browse the baskets of fresh produce grown right on the farm, watch the barnyard animals scurry around the grounds, and pick out a few gourds for small Autumn vignettes. Next we make our way out to the valley once more, to catch the early glimpses of the changing of the leaves. This is a really a beautiful thing to witness in Niagara. To conclude our drive, we usually end up at Whitty Farms or Natures Corner Bakery later in the afternoon for yet another coffee (and yes, something sweet... again) before heading back home.

Finally, and probably one of our most important, our last holiday is the 1st of December - The Official Ringing-In, of the Ringing-In, of the Holiday Season. That's the actual name. We thought it made the day more official. As you may as well have already guessed, this day begins, yet again, at Starbucks (coffee is a big deal to us) for our first Peppermint Mochas and Gingerbread Lattes of the Holiday season. This is a day for us to stay inside, by the fire, wrapping Christmas gifts and checking our lists. It's for writing our Christmas cards, and enjoying a Christmas dinner at 2 in the afternoon with Candy Cane ice cream for dessert, and for exchanging a little something we've probably been saving since Summer. Oh, and most importantly, we watch It's a Wonderful Life... every single December 1st. And you want to know something special?

It has snowed at some point, even if in the smallest of amounts, each year since we began this tradition many years ago, and in most cases, it's the first snow of the year.

But, that's still a few months away. Let's not get carried away. After all, today is just the first day of Autumn.

I'm pretty sure we're not the only ones who gets excited about seasonal beverages! What's your favourite festive sip?

The farm stand. It's quaint with just a little bit of everything.

The geese - my favourite. They were especially happy today with the coming showers.

The beautiful gardens.

A couple varieties of squash - I picked up two Butternuts for a pot of Roasted Butternut Squash soup tomorrow.

Pretty Radishes.

Apples, freshly picked from the surrounding fruit trees.