Although fall hasn’t officially arrived yet, I’ve been enjoying the milder weather as if it was my favorite time of year already. After all, what’s not to love about this time of year?
As I’ve said fall is my favorite time of the year, and, luckily for me, you can already feel it in the air. It seems like God has blessed us with an early fall and that’s just fine with me. My dogs and I can take longer walks in the evenings and perhaps squeeze in another walk in the mornings. That is if I can get them up and out the door early enough —they don’t like getting up with the roosters and would prefer chasing squirrels over exercise. If we miss an evening walk, though, they're not very happy, because in the evening is when they get to see at least a handful of deer.
Also during the fall, there are so many things going on around town, that it takes some doing to get it all in. But, nonetheless, I’m looking forward to it.
And I’m not the only one. Isabella is looking forward to the fairs and riding Ferris wheels, carousels and kiddie coasters with her No. 1 sidekick. She's already spotted pumpkins for decorating and carving them into Jack-o-lanterns but I don’t think just one is going to do. Izzie is probably going to search for the biggest one she can find, providing Grandma can haul it home.
I also love pumpkins, and many years ago I planted some in our garden, fed them “magic pumpkin food” and harvested several 50-75-pound pumpkins.
That wasn’t the only home-grown fall item out of the Rowe household. Recently, Isabella saw pictures of scarecrows I made a few years ago when she was a baby. Now that’s on our to-do list, along with a few fairs, festivals and trips to see the beautiful leaves and fall scenery.
Luckily, the little tyke hasn’t conned me into entering the 5k 'scarecrow runs', but, she could probably talk me into it with that smile and those beautiful eyes. Besides, I could use the exercise and another shirt.
With so many things to see and do, it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few favorites, but, there are a few you can’t miss.
At the top of my list is the Social Circle Friendship Festival, which always falls on my birthday. And two other events that I love, and feel you have to visit are Stanton Memorial Library's Annual Book Sale, and the Social Circle Methodist Church’s Quilt Show. There you will have a chance to win a beautiful quilt made by members of the Quilting Circle.
If you're looking for more fun, don’t miss out on these events: the City of Hoschton’s Fall Festival Sept. 23-25; Dawsonville’s Mountain Moonshine Festival Oct. 21-23; Georgia Apple Festival in Ellijay going on the weekends of Oct. 8 and 9 and Oct. 15 and 16; Stone Mountains Annual Pumpkin Festival Sep. 25 through Oct. 25 and the Harvest Balloon Festival on the Lake at Flowery Branch Oct. 15. The whole family will enjoy the fun at Colonel Cobs Corn Maze, Mitcham Farms corn maze in Oxford and Corn Dawgs in Loganville.
Of course, the fall also brings football.
Recently I took Isabella to watch the Social Circle Redskins football team play and she loved it. I explained everything to her and she seemed to understand, maybe a little too well. While watching more football games throughout the weekend, she assumed we only cheered for teams in red — Social Circle, the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Falcons — so I guess I taught her well!
It looks like it’s going to be quite a busy but fun fall, and to that, we say "Bring it on"!
Beth Rowe is a columnist who sees the world around her and tells it like it is. She may be reached at opieorowe@att.net.
