Welcome October

 October is my most favorite month of the year - that is, until Spring rolls around and May arrives.  Yes, I'm a May/October gal.  

I took a quick ride out into the countryside yesterday on a quest for more pumpkins.  Pumpkins are the best decorating item for Autumn.  Not only are they beautiful, and so unique and varied; but they can be recycled into the woods after Thanksgiving for the wild critters to eat.  What is left over decomposes and helps to feed the forest floor.

Thanks to my friend Anna, I found a produce stand that has the least expensive pumpkins in maybe the entire world.  Seriously inexpensive.  I filled my trunk full for $20.  In the city, a single pumpkin can cost over $10.  

Along the way, I saw so many wonderful sights of Autumn - I kept stopping the car and getting out and walking along the roadside to take photos to share with you.

My heart is so happy in this cooler, beautiful season.

The land is just beginning to morph into an autumnal palette.

Purple asters and goldenrod - my all time favorite combination.  

Both of these flowers grow in abundance along the roadsides.

Trees are starting to glow with subtle tones of yellow, orange, and red.

Fields of corn,  now brown and dry, rustle in the fresh, cool breeze.

Back at home, I used the pumpkins to add more touches of Autumn to the farm.

Bright shades for the mailbox...

Subtle shades for the front gardens...

I planted a cedar tree in a pot between the garage doors and added pumpkins for the season.  I can easily change this for Christmas by adding tiny lights.

I used some of our hydrangea blossoms to fashion a wreath for the front entryway...

and added a few pumpkins as well.  The hydrangeas will dry into a toasty tan color in the coming weeks and should stay until it is time to decorate for Christmas.

The mantle and hearth inside the house....

I also tucked tiny white pumpkins here and there in my kitchen for a subtle, seasonal touch.

Hubbs and I took a hike through our woods in search of Autumn mushrooms.  It was no surprise that we found oodles of them!

[Link to video on Youtube, if needed]

Thanks for stopping by the farm.  I hope I have put you in the mood for Autumn!!

This weekend is baby Elijah's first Birthday.  We will be celebrating him at a family party.  The rest of our weekend will be a quiet at-home weekend.  We'll be back Monday to share it with you.

To Eileen in Fla.:  we check and re-inforce our No Hunting signs yearly.  Pennsylvania has adopted a new policy - we can now spray a purple stripe on our trees to indicate No Trespassing.  The nice thing about this is that we don't have to hammer a plastic. sign onto our trees that will eventually blow off.  I am hopeful that the purple paint will last many years.