Fall Finally Comes to Texas

Now that it's almost Christmas our leaves are starting to turn pretty fall colors and after the cold front this weekend there will probably be no leaves at all.   It's suppose to be in the 30's all weekend and raining too.  I think this will be a good time to just stay inside and make a pot of chili!

 

Can't believe how Christmas sneaks up on me every year.  At least with the cooler weather it will feel like Christmas!

 

 

Who said there's no fall color in Southeast Texas??  It might not happen until December, but it does happen eventually!

 

This rope that has embedded into the tree has recently been used for hanging plants and bird houses, but originally, over 40 years ago, it was hung for a tire swing.  It was a fun place for our kids and their friends and they spent lots of hours climbing and swinging from this rope.



Chinese Tallow Tree



 Sadie's not so sure about walking on the leaves. 

 

 

We bought this tree about 10 years ago thinking it was a Red Leaf Maple, but it has never had a red leaf on it!  This year it was pretty though with it's golden leaves. 

Hoping this cooler weather will inspire me to finish getting ready for Christmas! 

 

Christmas gift suggestions: 

To your enemy, forgiveness. 

To an opponent, tolerance. 

To a friend, your heart. 

To a customer, service. 

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example. 

To yourself, respect. 

~Oren Arnold

 

 

Hope you have a good weekend and enjoy the beauty of the season!

 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

 I found this recipe for a lighter version of the Starbuck's latte and  to me it taste even better!  It's not so sweet and syrupy and quite a savings in calories I'm sure! 

Pumpkin Spice Latte 

4 ounces coffee or espresso 

1/2 cup skim or nonfat milk 

2 teaspoons sugar 

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (plus extra to dust on top) 

Brew coffee and heat milk until hot in microwave. Foam milk with Aerolatte or other milk frother. Mix sugar and pumpkin pie spice in coffee and pour milk on top. 

77 calories, 0.2g fat, 14.8 g carbohydrates, 4.3 g protein 

from Snack Girl

I have to admit these pictures are from last year in early December since our leaves are still mostly green. Yes, our leaves stay green well into the fall most years. We've had some nice cool days and even some cold nights, but still not much color change going on yet, but it will happen. 

 

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." 

Stanley Horowitz

October Sunset

 

To watch a sunset is to connect with the Divine.

Gina De Gorna

Autumn in the Country

 A few weeks ago we made a trip up to Kansas City to see Jill and Jason and along the way we saw some beautiful fall landscapes.  In some parts of the country it was too early to see much color in the leaves but the farther north we drove the more color we saw.

 We drove to Louisburg, Kansas and went to the Lousiburg Cider Mill and listened to some good bluegrass music, drank apple cider, and went through a pumpkin patch and corn maze - not typically things we would find in our part of Texas for sure!  It was quite a treat for us.

Even the grass was pretty and colorful with different shades of gold, brown, and red spotted throughout the rolling hills.

Pumpkins in the cornfields
Gold among the brown
Leaves of rust and scarlet
Trembling slowly down
Birds that travel southward
Lovely time to play
Nothing is as pleasant
As an autumn day!

First Week of November and Finally - Welcome Rainfall

We had rain for 3 days this week and I'm not complaining!  It was the first significant rain for our area since August so we were so happy to see it and our lawn and plants even livened up a bit.

Now maybe the burn ban will finally be lifted.  We were not allowed to have a campfire last week when we camped at San Augustine and that's half the fun of camping!  

April camping trip - Mill Creek Campground at Lake Sam Rayburn

Now it has turned much cooler and we had a very windy, sunny afternoon.  It was a beautiful day and it was so nice to see it finally looking and feeling like Fall.  

Autumn

"When the trees their summer splendor

Change to raiment red and gold,

When the summer moon turns mellow,

And the nights are getting cold;

When the squirrels hide their acorns,

And the woodchucks disappear;

Then we know that it is autumn,

Loveliest season of the year."

Carol L. Riser

November Leaves

My sweet niece walked through our backyard picking up the prettiest of the fallen leaves that she could find. These are from our Chinese Tallow which is one of the most colorful trees in the fall in our part of Texas.

"I am rich today with autumn's gold,
All that my covetous hands can hold;
Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod,
A goldfinch on a milkweed pod,
Huge golden pumpkins in the field
With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield,
Golden apples heavy on the trees
Rivaling those of Hesperides,
Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread
Over all like butter on warm bread;
And the harvest moon will this night unfold
The streams running full of molten gold.
Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss
With autumn glory such as this!"
- Gladys Harp

Spiritual Sunday

We saw this church in South Fork, Colorado a few years ago. Thought it was so pretty nestled in the middle of the beautiful fall foilage.

Believe and do what God says. The life-changing consequences will be limitless, and the results will be confidence and peace of mind.
Franklin Graham

Colorado Aspens

We made a trip to Colorado a few years ago and caught the Aspens at the peak of their beauty. It was just breathtaking! The leaves blowing in the breeze were just shimmering like glitter falling through the air. I could have just sat all day in this one spot and watched as the golden leaves glowed across the Colorado landscape. My brother and his family leave tomorrow to vacation in Colorado and I know they are going to be just as amazed at the beauty of the Aspens as we were.

God Bless Our Land

These are more pictures that we took at the apple orchard near Kansas City. We saw some beautiful farm country as we traveled through Missouri. I wish we could have stopped more often to take pictures - especially the big red barns.



This tractor looks like it has done its fair share of work on the farm and deserves a time of rest in the pasture under a shade tree.

When the Frost is on the Punkin

I don't know why, but I just really like this poem.


It'll be a long time before we have any frost on the punkins here, but I'm sure looking forward to our first frosty morning!

Only Six More Days Until Fall is Official

When the trees their summer splendor
Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year.

by Charlotte L. Riser

Football Couch Potato

Mom wrote this sometime during the 80's I think. She didn’t care too much about football season – especially trying to get everyone to come to the table for a meal.

The year's gone fast, fall is here

How I love this time of year!

Only one thing that I dread

That's football games and roaring crowds.

TV sets turned up so loud

When'er I say "Come eat guys,"

They just sit there with glaring eyes.

It gives me a pain in the neck

Then I think "Oh what the heck!"

What can they see on that old tube

That they would do without their food?