Friday Fiver: Things I Love About Fall

Fall doesn't officially start until next week, but it sure feels like autumn outside.  Cool air. Slight breeze. The smell of Friday night football (yes, there is a distinct smell) and leaves burning.  Ahhh.  It is probably my second favorite time of year (MLB's Opening Day is my favorite, of course).  Fall is full of all kinds of good things, but here are my top five.

1.  Sports!!

Football and baseball are arguably my two favorite sports to watch.  As baseball is in the stretch to the playoffs, football is just gearing up.  It's the perfect mix to fill my schedule on the weekends.  Friday nights, I'm usually taking in a local high school football game. Saturdays I watch the Iowa State Cyclones. My Sundays belong to the KC Chiefs or another midwest team. Baseball is usually squeezed in during the breaks.  This year is quite different from the past, however. I'm usually not quite as invested in the baseball games going on right now, but with my Rangers looking to clinch the AL West division title in the next few days, I have to stretch to find the emotion to invest in my football teams.

2.  The colors

One things I really missed about Iowa while I was living in Texas was the changing leaves.  I love watching the trees transition from green to red, yellow, orange and rust.  It makes for a gorgeous drive on a clear sunny afternoon.  My family once took a Sunday drive out to the eastern part of the state to see the foliage along the Mississippi River. I'll never forget it, and I'd love to repeat it, but that's more of a group activity, so I'll have to wait until I find a roadtrip partner.

3.  Honeycrisp apples

These are, hands down, the best apples ever.  Don't even try and offer up your Pink Lady, Braeburn or Granny Smith -- the Honeycrisp is the champion.  And it's only available in the fall. It's not a cheap apple either, but it's worth every dime for these few months of availability.

4.  TV shows return.

My DVR schedule is about to get very interesting.  All my shows are coming back, and I'll have to fit them in between all those sports I mentioned above. I'm looking forward to the return of all of my favorites, and I'd list them, but I'm not ready to reveal how much of a DVR slave I am.

5.  Cooler temperatures

I wear jeans pretty much year-round.  I did that even when I was living in Texas, so it's nothing new.  I'm just not a fan of showing my Casper-white, practically transparent legs.  I also grow pretty tired of my tshirt collection by this time of year, and I can't wait until it's cool enough for long sleeve shirts and sweaters.