Fall is in the air.

There's something about fall that just gets my senses churning. Letting the house breathe once again after the brutal summer heat it just seems fitting for a little Billie Holiday, Etta James, Dinah Washington or Nina Simone (nothing beats a Sunday kind of love). The lapse between outragous air and heating bills is a welcome reprieve (a charming 1938 bungalo does have its drawbacks). Crisp morning air and a dark roasted cup of joe on the deck throwing the ball for the dogs (well the one dog, the other's afraid of him and hasn't got the taste for tennis balls covered in drool and dirt yet) knowing that the holidays and time planned with family will be here in the blink of an eye. The maple, hickory nut and leaves of my neighbors sweet gumball tree are starting to turn every vibrant color that fall is known for and I'm anxious to get back to North Georgia with friends for my annual pumpkin patch trip. Yeah... yeah... I know the farmers market has plenty, but there's nothing like grabbing your own wheel barrow and browsing the pumpkin patch in Dawsonville GA. Pumpkins of every size and color with kids of all ages running from one to another for closer inspection, attempting to talk their parents into the largest one. Although the youngest of the bunch is a blond toddler dressed in OshKosh, hands stretched out in front gasping at the sights of his young eyes. Hayrides through the hillsides and drives through the twisty switchbacks of SR180 and 60 to take in one of the most spectacular seasons… windows open… listening to the grip of rubber along the pavement and a breeze through the sunroof. Although not as majestic as the trips in the fall to see the Aspens in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado growing up, the hills (as I call them) of Georgia are equally amazing.

Fall menu's featuring harvest vegetables at the top Atlanta restaurants are getting on their way… butter browned sage and squash over pasta and roasted butternut squash soup with apple and candied pecans… and times with friends sampling these new appetizers with my selection of wines is always a treat and time well spent. While I still miss those majestic Rocky Mountains, falls here in Georgia are a good second runner up. Although, I reminisce being in Manhattan this month last year, being in Central Park watching mother natures same amazing transformation smack dab in the center of the worlds most amazing city. This year I got to sample a touch of fall in Denver and then returned home to Atlanta with a backsplash of summer heat and now once again that same crisp autumn air. With Thanksgiving soon approaching it’s always a good time to reflect on the year and give thanks. And this year there's one special thanks to whom ever is in charge up there for looking after my brother on that day that could have changed everything! As leaves are falling, air gets colder, and even flakes of pure innocence will start to fall from the sky, a solstice is approaching, a time for rebirth, and for everything to renew again.