Everyone loves Fall....right?

I mean.....what is there NOT to love....right? Temperatures in the low 80's to upper 70's.....lows in the 50's. Mornings are brisk enough to put on a jacket while doing the morning chores then by lunch time you are pealing off that jacket and again, by evening chores...grabbing that jacket again. A light morning rain leaves the air smelling of fall leaves...a smell that awakens childhood memories of playing in leaf piles...Halloween...and then, the coming of Christmas. Almost everyone I know.... loves Fall. Then...... reality hits...WHAM! WINTER IS COMING! A slight wave of panic washes over me for a brief moment. My "grown up " mind kicks in..... Do we have enough fire wood for winter? Is there enough Hay put up to keep every critter fed? How much straw will I need to keep everyone warm and dry? What do I need to do to the gardens to "put them to bed" for winter? So even though I truly enjoy Fall....Autumn...whatever you may call it..I am now in "preparing for winter mode" They Hay is stored...most of the firewood we will need is stacked...and I need to get a few extra hundred pounds of feed put up, in case we can't get out to get more. Some areas of the garden are done. Tomato's are finished, so I will get that area cleaned out and get the old bedding from the barn in there. As each area finishes up, I will try to get it all covered. Once the winter sets in, and lays a blanket of white on the garden, the bedding will then work it's "magic" to enrich the soil. So, get that work finished up before winter sets in...but don't forget to enjoy Fall...go for walks in the woods...or parks..take in the beauty of the colorful Autumn leaves. Slow down...watch the critters of the woods pack away their stores for winter. Enjoy this season...while it lasts.