I have a grudge against Fall.

It's not that Fall is such a terrible season. The real problem is that I hate winter, and Fall reminds me that winter is on the way. Fall is a calamity howler.

So when September rolls around, my husbandm Seth, tries to cheer me up. 

“Ah, isn't this cool weather a relief?” he asks.

“Nope. I like hot weather. I like to sweat,” I remind him.

He doesn't give up. “But the leaves are really something ...”

“They look that way because they are dying. Lots of things turn funny colors before they DIE. Our fish turned colors before he died. We didn’t stand and admire him.”

My grudge against Fall runs pretty deep.

But as it turns out, there is something that I love about the season. About 7,500 little things.

The APPLES.

So, in September, Seth and I go to the U-Pick orchard. He follows me around while I pick apples and fill one bag after another. We pay for our 400 pounds, then take the apples home and put all the bags on the kitchen, and dining room, floor.

And there they are. 

“What kind of apple is this?” Seth asks, picking a red apple out of a bag.

“I don’t know.”

“Well ... did you pick any Galas?” Seth loves Gala apples.