Tis the season for falling leaves, woodsmoke, country festivals, Oktoberfest, and Halloween. Here's a to-do list of 50 things to do this autumn.
2. Canning jams, sauces, veggies/pickling
3. Apple festivals
4. Pumpkin patches
5. Slow cook chili
6. Crochet an afghan
7. Horror movie marathon
8. Bonfire with campfire tales
9. Ghost tour
10.Make decorations out of leaves -
11. Make your own hot cocoa mix
12. Build a scarecrow -
Scarecrow head - styrofoam head from craft store, carve deep eyes and mouth, cheekbones. Dip burlap strips into a 3 parts glue 1 part water mix. Drape over the styrofoam. Use straight pins to hold while it dries and hardens. Paint with acrylic craft paint watered down, dry brush, add accessories. This is Croweater - one I designed.
13. Roast pumpkin seeds
How to roast pumpkin seeds - let the seeds dry overnight or put in 200 degree oven 1 hour to dry. Once dry, a basic roasting is tossed in oil (I prefer to a more healthy oil like avacado, olive oil, or coconut oil), salt and pepper, spread on pan and cook at 350 for 12-15 mins. Savory - worstershire, melted butter, salt. Sweet - melted butter, cinnamon, sugar.
14. Make smores
15. Project horror movies in the backyard
16. Make a blanket fort for horror movie watching
17. Chase the leaves for some scenic drives
18. Make a batch of chili from scratch
19. Photograph a cemetery
20. Photograph an abandoned building
Tips for safe urban exploring "URBEX" - never go alone. Heed the no trespassing signs. Wear a mask, gloves, sturdy shoes. Carry a cell phone. Before entering, toss rocks at the front door. This will draw out anyone who might be harboring inside and scare animals that may be within. One of you takes photos while the other faces outward to see who is coming. Take turns. Use the natural lighting as it creates a very creepy atmosphere. Don't worry about photographing the entire room, find a corner, a bit of peeled wallpaper, an empty overturned chair, or even the view out the window of the overgrown landscape. Do not take anything with you. Witness and archive, but leave it be.
21. Go to a pick your own farm
22. Taste and compare pumpkin ales and hard ciders
23. Rent a cabin in the mountains and hie fall pathways.
24. Plan a Halloween party.
25. Come up with a Halloween decor theme and develop.
26. Find a natural setting to put out a camping chair and silently watch the twilight grazing of deer.
27. Add scented candles and diffusers with fall smells.
28. Explore a corn maze.
29. Beer and chili festival.
30. State fair.
31. Zombie walk.
32. Ferment garlic in honey.
Fermented garlic is a great health curative that will feed your healthy gut biome.
33. Rake a pile of leaves and then distribute them under your bushes and plants for great natural mulch.
34. Get friends and relatives together for a game of touch football.
35. Plant bulbs for next springtime.
36. Make a sourdough starter and bake some bread.
37. Do some scrapbooking.
38. Check out local brew pubs and seasonal beers.
39. Switch out nighttime lighting to hurricane lamps or candles.
40. Cook with autumn in mind - rosemary, mushrooms, figs, apples, pears, cinnamon, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, beets, carrots, walnuts.
41. Dress in autumn colors- pumpkin, brown, nutmeg, forest green, rust, gold.
42. Make apple cider -
10 medium apples (I suggest Granny Smith), 1 orange, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp ground cloves, 6 T. sugar. Peel the orange and separate the slices. Rinse apples and cut into quarters. Place in crock pot and add enough water to just cover them. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Use tongs to remove cinnamon sticks. Mash the fruit. Return the cinnamon sticks to the pot. Cook on high for one hour. Strain and serve warm.
43. Make apple butter.
44. Make coffee cake.
45. Go for a hike in autumn woods.
46. Put a simmer pot on the stove to make the house smell like autumn - orange peels, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, star anise, grated nutmeg, cardamom pods.
47. Stay in a haunted B&B.
48. Host football game parties or tailgate.
49. Chop wood.
50. Heat up the smoker and make some great meals.
Enjoy this video by my favorite autumn vibe channel - Trout and Coffee in the Berkshires.
BONUS
Make dried carved apple heads, they age nicely by Halloween. I attached mine to a dead limb like a Christmas tree with aging heads.
Peel and carve the apples (I use Granny Smith as they are firm). Carve the features out deeply as they shrink as they dry. Take a half lemon and dip it in salt and rub all over the apple. Pat the apple dry. Put on a cookie sheet in 150-degree oven an hour or two until dried out.
Whatever you do with Autumn, always give thanks. I just finally came back east from the desert southwest and having a real autumn is the greatest gift!
