Friday, October 9, 2015

It's Finally Fall

Well folks, it's finally feeling like autumn has arrived in the Mile High City. A very warm and dry autumn, but autumn nonetheless. Temperatures have finally cooled down into the 70's with even a few days in the 60's and I am soooo ready for the change!


Actually, I'm a lover of summer weather. The problem is that this time of year my allergies get so bad that even though I am heavily medicated, I just can't keep my bedroom window open and hope to breathe at night!


This meant that, crazy as it felt, I was running the air conditioning at night through the end of September, just to get the indoor temperature down to the low 70's so I could sleep. Even so, I was still waking up every night roasting to death. So the cooler temperatures have been a godsend in the sleep department!



CatMan and I went for a bike ride the other day down to Chatfield State Park and it was just lovely.

The rabbitbrush is in full bloom all along the bike path:


And we even came across a family of mule deer fattening up for winter:


I had a hard time convincing them to come out from the shade so I could get a better picture, but one was nice enough to pose for me:


The cucumber harvest continues at an incredible rate, and I'm gonna make another batch of refrigerator pickles today.


I've been using this recipe (minus the celery seeds and the accompanying trip to the ER) and the results are totally AMAZING! They actually taste like real pickles!! Not sure why this should surprise me, but it does. This is a welcome development because, due to food allergies, and the fact that all commercially made pickles contain either celery seed or dill, I haven't had a pickle in nearly 20 years. Seriously, I ate an entire jar in less than a week!

I also made a batch of roasted cherry tomatoes;


Only problem with them was that someone (who shall remain nameless) got a tad bit too excited, and popped a spoonful into her mouth without letting them cool adequately. So other than the burnt mouth aftertaste, they were delicious!

So tell me... does it feel like fall yet in your neck of the woods?


27 comments :

  1. Glad you are enjoying fall! We had a mild September but have had a few cooler days this month--I was thrilled to pull out a crockpot soup recipe and make homemade rolls earlier this week.

    The first 2-3 weeks of October are my favorite weeks of the year. The maples are in their bright glory and the contrast against the green of the other trees is sooo pretty. Slightly jealous of your fun bike ride, although I got in a great hike on a gorgeous day earlier this week.

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    1. Ooooo... the leaves haven't started to turn here in town, though the pictures I'm seeing from folks up in the high country are beautiful!

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  2. Finally fall here, too. Seemed to change overnight. The trees need to hurry up and drop their leaves as we have been known to get an October snowstorm.

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    1. I know! Last year I think we'd already had 2 snowstorms by this time! Sorta enjoying Indian Summer though... :-)

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  3. We have the open-the-window-and-enjoy-the-cooler-fresh-air or open-the-window-and-have-you-allergies-get-worse problem also. However, last night we opened the window and I got to listen to the wind in the trees and a gentle rain. Worth the itchy eyes.

    We saw several mule deer on our recent vacation in the southwest. I noticed that they have much larger ears than the white tails I'm used to here.

    Great post. :) Look forward to more.

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    1. It was so funny when we stopped to look at the deer. People kept whizzing past and honestly they were more interested in looking at me taking pictures than in turning their heads to see what I was photographing! Their loss!

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  4. Glad you are getting a break from the allergies I can't even imagine what that must be like to have so many allergies or to have to sleep with the windows closed in the summer months.

    Yes, it's definitely autumn here. We will be lucky to see 60 over the next ten days and the furnace is on. The windows have been closed for a while now but I'm stubborn and holding out for a few more nice days so I have the screens on the storm doors. Our leaves are just starting to change on the tips but the burst of color has yet to arrive.

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    1. I seem to do OK with the allergies during the day, but as soon as I get horizontal it's all over but the shouting! Can't believe how cold it is out there! I haven't even been tempted to turn the furnace on, though Jasper is starting to hug the sunbeams when the indoor temps drop below 70! Soon I'll have to get up earlier to open the shades on the big east-facing front window so he can have his morning sunshine!

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    2. Interesting. For the past couple of years I've had a cough that happens mostly when I'm horizontal. Just a clearing-my-throat kind of cough. I knew being horizontal was bad for acid reflux, but I didn't know it could also be bad for allergies.

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    3. Well... I don't think it's allergies per se, but if your sinuses are congested for whatever reason you'll have more trouble when you're horizontal

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  5. The leaves are starting to turn here, and it is definitely getting colder...although only over night. I keep dressing too warm for the weather as it is cool in the mornings (6C/43F) but some days last week got up to about 17C/62F.

    The heating has come on a couple of times...the most annoying thing is how long washing takes to dry, either outside or hanging up inside. Easy dry washing in the sun is one of my favourite things about summer!

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    1. Gosh, that's much chillier than it is here! I'm lamenting not being able to hang the laundry out right now, but it's not because of temperatures, it's because of pollen! Seriously, it's an allergic disaster if I hang laundry outside when the ragweed is in bloom!

      Of course, once it gets cold enough to kill it all I'll be able to hang it out do dry again. It's so dry and sunny here that even in the middle of winter the clothes dry relatively quickly.

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    2. I am very jealous...I turned the heating on today just to dry the washing!!

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    3. Ha! I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt - it's 80 degrees (27C) outside! It's nice but it sorta feels wrong - we're well on our way to the hottest October on record here.

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    4. That's way too hot for me, I'd melt! Can't believe that is your Autumn temperature...

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    5. Well... it's pretty warm for October, but if you think that's "hot" you'd hate summers here! We had a nice cool summer with most days in the low 90's (around 33C) and not a single day over 100 (around 38C) We usually have to suffer through at least a handful of those scorchers! See why the laundry dries so fast here? :-)

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  6. I have to keep the windows closed year-round because of allergies and night air. There will be days this winter when I have to run the ac.

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    1. Holy Moly! AC in the winter?!? It must be a lot warmer where you live than it is here! :-)

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  7. Sorry about the allergies! I love this time of year when we don't need heat or AC for a while. The summer seems to be hanging around here (in temperature only, the leaves are changing and falling regardless). It's been a bit warmer than usual but I'm not complaining. Plus I want to have this baby before it's coat weather because I don't have one that will fit!

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    1. Summer is definitely hanging on here. We had our warmest September ever and are well on our way to the warmest October. Here's hoping the little one arrives before the cold weather does!

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  8. Glad you were able to have pickles. I love the kitty with the tissue :) And I would rub that little kitten belly :)

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    1. I would totally rub that belly... and kiss it, and smooch it, and bury my face in it, and... suffice it to say I have a hard time controlling myself when it comes to cute kittens!

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  9. No, but it's starting to feel a lot like autumn ;-) Pretty much what Nicola said, as far as weather goes, and it's really damp here at the moment so nothing's drying. It's nice to have the wood stove alight again, though :-)

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    1. Honestly, I'd trade you some dry for some damp. Things are downright crispy here!

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  10. It definitely feels like fall here, by which I mean not boiling hot all day. I'm a cold weather wimp, so I'm back to wearing long pants most days because now it's cool inside and out. (Everything's cool to me. Inside it's 77. Outside it's, let me look it up, 89. I do take my sweater off to go for walks outside.)

    Also, school is in session (Spanish III) and starting October 1 I started wearing my haunted house t-shirt. With glow-in-the-dark ghosts.

    Do you have a ceiling fan (or other fan) for your bedroom? That might help you sleep in warmer temperatures. They aren't super pricy, either. You may even be able to get one used if you have a Habitat for Humanity Re-store near you, because apparently ceiling fans don't look good.

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    1. OK... you're worse than I am! It's 77 inside at the moment and I'm comfy in shorts and a t-shirt... but a little too hot for yoga!

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    2. Yes, I'm pretty terrible. Shorts are good for yoga in the 77-degree house. Otherwise I want a sweater.

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