16 Ways to Tell That Fall is Coming

1. The pool is very, very refreshing (a balmy 68 F a few days ago). How did I know? Well, I was quite warm from doing a bit of gardening and decided that a dip was a good idea. That may have been the last dip of the season.

2. I'm thinking that my newly-painted Adirondack chair needs to move into the sun, instead of the shade. Rather than tangerine, I'll call it pumpkin.

3. The trees lose that vibrant green color...it gets kind of flat and muted. There are even a few early birds that are starting to turn color, especially south of here in the hills.

4. The sun goes down much earlier. For some reason, this comes as a surprise to me every year.

5. There's not as many song birds around. Just crows, the flock (a huge number of starlings that make one think of the "The Birds") and Canadian geese (lots of those milling around).

6. You haven't seen a lightning bug in quite a few weeks.

7. When you cut the grass, it smells like fall.

8. The show season is winding down. I was both a bad mom and a bad blogger today as I totally forgot to bring a camera to watch DD compete in goat tying for the first time. I had no idea that my daughter could fling and tie up a goat that neatly (and come in 4th of 8).

9. You wonder where you put your sweaters.

10. You wonder where you put your long pants.

11. You wonder where you put your socks. Or for that matter, your shoes.

12. You start stash diving for larger projects...spinning or knitting, doesn't matter as long as it's warm and woolly. Unless, of course, you just finished something large. In that case, may I suggest mittens, a hat or socks?

13. You start thinking about cooking again. Things like bread, lasagna, pot roast and pies.

14. The cats decide that helping you with anything woolly is the most important part of their day.

15. When the Yarn Harlot says she's looking for a mitten pattern, you drop everything and look for one. I didn't find one that I thought was just what she was looking for, but I did find Cats and Horses. Ahh, the wonders of the interwebs and instant gratification. Other than stash diving, I'm good to go!

16. The Finger Lakes Fiber Festival is 6 days away, September 19 & 20 in Hemlock, NY. It's a very nice festival and I'm not just saying that because I help organize it. We have over 80 vendors (with wonderous products to keep you busy and inspired), excellent food vendors, a growing Farmer's Market, workshops and competitions for fleeces, skeins & garments. You can see it all in one day, but two is better!