Fall

Fall starts to show its colors (what a big announcement, isn't it?)

I have learned to like Fall, the "true" one, not only September during which month I enjoyed picking mushrooms and chesnuts with my family when I was a kid. No, I'm talking about the entire season till December 21st. In France, Fall is usually associated with chilly and boring weather: rain, first fogs and frost bites. In Georgia, we benefit from Indian Summers almost every year. It is finally when we can start breathing again after a hot canicular and tropical Summer ... cool mornings and nights, how enjoyable!

I particularly like the Fall colors: golden tons of the light and shimmer on the leaves, the oranges of pumpkins and sunsets, the reds of mapple trees.  What I also like is the promise of festivities just around the corner: First Halloween, and then Thanksgiving and Christmas shortly after. Halloween and Thanksgiving are not traditions I grew up with, for which I have references. However,  I wouldn't miss those celebrations now for anything.

What about you?

Blood . Mountain . Trail ~ Hiking

Now that Fall is at our doors, we really enjoy going out for a hike on week-ends. The sun is finally out there after a very long, boring, rainy summer, and the temperatures are still pretty warm during daytime.
Last week, we hiked along the Blood Mountain Trail: one section of the trail is actually part of the  very famous Appalachian Trail, which runs from North Georgia all the way up to Maine.

The trail is classified as streneous but definitively worth it when arriving at the top: the view on the Smoky Mountains is awsome ! (should go for the fall colors in a few weeks, since there were not there yet).

Next week-end will be more intense: we are planning on camping Friday night in the Unicoi State Park  (campfire and Smores for Louloutte) and go for a hike at Anna Ruby Falls the next morning (9.2 miles). We'll get a well-deserved rest on Sunday and probably prepare Halloween stuff. It will come fast!