Falling Back

Our first house hunting trip to Boston was in October 2005. We added an extra day to our trip with plans to drive through Vermont in search of fall foliage. Our trip happened to coincide with one the biggest flooding seasons in New England, but despite pouring rain, we set out, determined to find quaint villages with covered bridges and white chapels. After our day's journey, we returned to Boston disappointed that, through our foggy windshield, we saw little colorful foliage, only one white chapel and drove across a mere two covered bridges. The next year, as we were new residents of New England, we again planned to see what this region is famous for. I did a little research and found several sources stating, "begin your trip in Sudbury, MA and follow Route 2 west . . . " How ironic that we had searched for hours, when really we could have just taken a look around our future home town! We love Autumn in Sudbury and are sad to see it end.

(Sudbury Town Center)

In Sudbury, especially in the fall, running my daily errands, picking the kids up from school or driving to a friend's house is a treat. The views of white chapels, the grist mill, wild swans floating on ponds, stone walls separating the countryside, or the little historic inn down the road all are back dropped by gold, fire red and blazing orange. 

(Mary and Martha's Chapel built by Henry Ford)

(The little one room school house that Mary from Mary had a Little Lamb attended.)

(Some of Sudbury's abundant conservation land)

(The Grist Mill restored by Henry Ford)

(Longfellow's Wayside Inn where Longfellow stayed and wrote Tales of a Wayside Inn)

(a Sudbury farm stand)

(a typical antique house, circa 1800)

Where we live, it stays fairly warm through November, with really no snow until late December, so the Fall provides several months to enjoy everything New England has to offer. One of our "must-do" activities is apple picking. Only ten minutes away from our home is the perfect little apple orchard, Honey Pot Hill Orchard. Throughout the year we visit to pick blueberries, stop in their country store for fresh produce, and even buy our Christmas trees. However, we always set a special day aside to apple pick. This year Grandpa David was in town for the event. We took a hay ride out to the Macintosh apple orchard and filled our bag until it was definitely overflowing, and then some! The kids each stopped at the pumpkin patch afterward to choose their future jack-o-lanterns and then we finished off the event with cider and doughnuts from the country store. We have such fun memories of Grandpa and Grandma Ebert joining us on this outing a couple of years ago.

Starting in early September, I begin noticing bright orange globes dotting the fields near our home. Immediately the excitement of fall is ushered in. The changing of the seasons is here and we look forward to cozy sweaters, warm soups and crackling fireplaces. This year Sophia, Ezra and I joined our play group at another pumpkin patch near our home. (Photos courtesy of Lindsey Larsen.)

With fall comes the beginning of a new school year. New teachers, reuniting with friends and riding the school bus fill our conversations. We clean out our closets, taking inventory of our clothing, buy new backpacks and school shop, both for classroom supplies and for school clothes. (For Emilie the new pencils and books are most exciting, for Annelise, it's the clothes, of course!) The excitement for all of the newness that the year has to offer is carried through the fall and is finally puntcuated with school pictures. The kids urgently remind me to choose a package and send in our money. Then they discuss which outfits would represent them best, and finally hope that the weather will cooperate so that the photos can be taken outside. This year's photos were a success. There will be no retakes in this family!

With December upon us, we look forward to everything wintery and white, with sledding in our back yard, igloo making with dad, and ice skating on one of the ponds in our town. But tucked not too far in our memories are crisp fall days of pumpkins, apple picking, and colorful leaves. We already look forward to Autumn 2009.