fall

Since having moved to the south I really miss the fall colors. There's just something about the crisp air and the lovely leafs that turn to beautiful different hues. It's funny to me that people in the south think that 80 degrees has a nip to it and they say that it has such a nice chill to it.

Oh boy. So not what I remember about fall.

Fall to me means, school starting and the Illinois State Fair. I remember going to the fair and for the first time after summer having to wear a jacket during the night. I remember the colors of the rides and how I had to wait sooooooo long before I was big enough to ride the "cool" rides. My two older sisters got go with friends while I had to wait and go with Mom and Dad.

I remember Dad working with his side of the family on those engines. The ones that just did the bang bang bang. I never did really understand the point of them but Dad's family really liked them and Grandpa had quite a few of them that he showed at the fair.

I remember Mom figuring out things for us to make and enter in the fair. We would crochet, or sew or bake and try to make it good enough to enter in the fair. I didn't ever win anything. Although I seem to remember my oldest sister won some ribbons. And I think my other sister did to for some drawings, but I'm not sure about that.

Mom used to sing at a tent that the church set up. We would go with her to hear her sing. That was pretty cool. I don't remember going to any of the professional concerts that they would have. But usually the lines to the rides were shorter while the concerts were on so that was the best time to ride the rides.

Then there was the saltwater taffy. We would wait all year to get a couple of boxes of that. The cart was always over by the train office. You could ride the train all the way around the outside of the fair grounds. We usually rode that one time each year. But the taffy....oh that was fun. I don't think I've had any of that since at least the 80's....hmmmm....may need to tap into some IL contacts to get me some next year.

Then there was livestock. I really enjoyed going through that barns and seeing the horses, the cows and the pigs. For some reason I could live on a farm and enjoy it. Especially the horses....although I think they like to wake up early. :o)

Anyway, I enjoy fall. I love the crisp air, the smells, the sights and the sounds. I would love to experience the fall of my childhood one more time. Maybe I'll have to take a road trip this year and find a place that has the atmosphere of IL.