Fall is in the Air

It started raining here in WA a few days ago.  Finally.  Not that the summer wasn't gorgeous and rare and appreciated, but we really really need the rain.  It's been so dry and hot.  Besides, for me, the rain and the crisp air and the leaves swirling around my feet all signify that the autumn season is officially here.

This morning, Jake and I went outside with the boys so they could have a Halloween Egg Hunt (they've been begging for a week to do it) and I was so excited to see that virtually overnight fall had arrived.  The leaves were covering the ground in all their beautiful fall colors, the wind was blowing a wonderfully crisp breeze and the sun was shining for all it was worth.  It seemed to be saying, "I'm still here! I haven't been pushed aside yet!"  

The best part, the part that completed the morning for me, was looking at the apple tree and seeing so many beautiful bright red apples laying on the ground and falling with a soft thump onto the crunchy leaves.  The boys went inside with Jake after awhile and I stayed out in the quiet of the morning and picked apples for quite some time.

This was just a part of the apples I picked this morning.  Doesn't it look lovely? The boys helped fill up a few buckets and Jake taped together a wide flexible drain hose and rake to create a make-shift apple picker.  It worked wonderfully! Sorry to say I didn't get any pictures of that, but maybe I'll try to later.  We're going back out this afternoon to pick the rest.  

What does all this mean for me? Lots of applesauce, apple butter, apple pie filling and dried apples in my very near future.  Maybe I'll make an apple crumble for desert tonite.  And there's always apple breads, apple cake, baked apples, glazed apples... aaaahhhh... I love fall.

What about you? What's your favorite time of the year? Do any of you can and preserve? Do you have any favorite apple recipes to share?