I am loving fall in the Northwest. The trees are turning brilliant colors of red, yellow and orange. It’s foggy and often rainy in the morning. There’s a chill in the air, but still warm enough there’s no need to turn on the heater. Instead I like to curl up under my afghan in our living room while Cat climbs all over me. We’ve even had a few fires already. I really do love this time of year.

I apologize to those of you still waiting for signs of fall. Don’t worry it’s coming. Unless you live in Southern California or Florida. My bad.

But in honor of my favorite season I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite things to enjoy during fall. I won’t include carving pumpkins or walking on freshly fallen leaves, because those things are just a given.

1. Sweet & Spicy Tea

Good Earth Sweet & Spicy tea to be exact.  I can thank my old boss Melanie for turning me onto this tea. It is perfect for a rainy day. I prefer the caffeine free since I already drink way too much coffee, but there is a caffeinated kind just in case you need a morning jolt.

2. Soup

Again, not just any soup. It has to be sweet potato, kale, siracha soup. Do you like the sound of that? I make it all the time. Maybe I’ll share it on this blog sometime. Really any soup is great, but this one just screams AUTUMN!

3. Scary movies

I like the gory, horror kind as well as the family friendly movies. Usually around this time of year I can be found watching Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Hocus Pocus and the Curious George Halloween movie. I saw Hocus Pocus in the theater with some cousins and have loved it every since. I can thank Cat for making me a Curious George fan, my mother for making a Ghost and Mr. Chicken fan and VH1 for making me a Rocky Horror Picture Show fan. By the way, don’t watch the unedited version with your mother. Learned that the hard way.

4. Pumpkin … uh, everything

Yes, I’m that girl. I love pumpkin flavored foods. I’ve made my own pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin yogurt and pumpkin bread. Those recipes are all from my old vegan blog Short Silly Vegan. I no longer post there, but if you’re interested in that whole “vegan thing” feel free to peruse it. I won’t tell.

– Veronica Craker

I too love fall, though perhaps for different reasons than Veronica. I think she loves it so much because she grew up in a place where fall last about two weeks and that was it. For me, fall is more than just another season, but also a walk down memory lane.

So, I’ll keep this listicle rolling right along.

5. Fog

There is something so mystical about a good thick fog. I don’t know if I feel that way because I’ve read too many Stephen King books or what, but since we bought our house near the ocean, I’ve noticed we get a lot of fog here. There is just something I love about looking out our back door at our forest socked in by fog. Reminds me of The Shipping News or my love of lighthouses or who knows why, I just love a fall foggy evening.

6. Postseason baseball

Now, I know fall generally means the end of baseball for all of you Mariners fans, but we are a Yankees household – and though their stay was short-lived this season, at least they made it. Anyway, October baseball, no matter who is playing, is a blast.

7. Football

We didn’t watch the NFL very often growing up, what with games being played during church. But we did watch a lot of college football and fall means lazy Saturday mornings watching games with my dad and brother. I have many a fond memory of watching the ABC game of the week with my older brother Mick. We would make giant ham sandwiches and pick a team and root for them the rest of the season.

8. Leaves

Who doesn’t love the colorful leaves this time of year? I remember fondly having to rake up giant piles of leaves in our backyard in Kirkland. We never jumped in the piles, because in the Pacific Northwest the leaves are always wet, and jumping into wet leaves doesn’t have the same appeal as what you see on TV or in movies. Anyway, our house has no leaf trees. What a travesty! So, recently I purchased two and planted them. They are not very big, but I hope to rake up great piles of their leaves in the years to come.

9. Wood smoke

I love having a fire in our dining room. Everyone sitting around, getting warm with good conversation. But beyond just the fire, I also love the smell of wood smoke in the air on an autumn evening.

10. Crisp air

Fall is a great weather time in the Northwest. You still have warm days, but as the evening comes on you get that little bit of chill in the air, just enough to make a jacket necessary for outdoor activity. It’s all the good part of cold weather before the winter rains set in.

– Craig Craker