This weekend I went on two autumn adventures, the first of which was a pumpkin and apple-picking extravaganza with some lovely friends at Gordon Skagit Farms.

Apple orchards always feel like home to me. I was raised in New York apple country – Wayne county is the third largest producer of apples in the United States – and the house I grew up in has an orchard that ripens gradually throughout the season, with the earlier trees at the front (west) end of the orchard and the later trees at the back. I have a thousand memories of the bounty of fall apple harvests, and I miss New York in autumn most of all.

So it was a complete joy to walk through the long grass in bright sunshine and exclaim over the beautiful Jonagolds (and to sneak a bite or two from a fallen apple).

And then the pumpkins. All this golden light and views of the mountains, and dirt on your hands from picking the perfect pumpkin. Delightful.

And finally, we picked out specialty pumpkins and gourds.It’s hard for me to resist the dozens of interesting shapes and unique color combinations.

At the house I’ve decorated with some garlands I made. They were inspired by (read: copied from) the ones in the Quartz Mountain lookout. I’ve also enjoyed placing the gourds and pumpkins around the place to brighten it up for fall.

The second autumn adventure was Hike #39 to see the larches on the trail to Lake Ingalls. Stay tuned!