I’ve been noticing signs of fall all around our mountain holler. The front porch has several.
Matt has his deer hunting clothes airing out as the season quickly approaches. There are bins of drying beans here and there, kraut that has finished making but needs to be carried to the basement, and winter squash form a splash of fall color as they lay by the front door.
Out in the gardens and woods plants are rusty around the edges and if you pay attention you’ll hear the scurry of squirrels as they jump through the trees trying to hole up what they need for winter. Bees are doing the same and their buzzing has a frantic sound to it.
No matter where you go outside you hear the chirp of crickets at all times of the day. They too feel the impending change that’s coming.
As can often happen there is one area fall hasn’t pushed its way into yet—the temperature.
Last week we had several days with the feel like temperature in the low 100s. I keep looking out ahead at the long range forecast hoping I’ll see some early morning 50s but so far that hasn’t happened.
I’m always ready for the next season by the time the one we are in is winding down. This year I feel a yearning for the first big frost that I don’t recall ever feeling in previous years. Matt says I’ve lived with him so long I’m beginning to be like him in his distaste of hot weather.
Last night’s video: Cornbread Salad – EASY & Delicious! || Homemade Ranch Dressing.
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
Tipper—I love fall and the late summer harvesting. I went to my local orchard here in vermont today—this time of year I go at least once a week…they have some 50 varieties that ripen differently as well as pears, squashes, pumpkins, apple and pear products and more. As you enter their building you smell the cider donuts and fresh pressed cider while walking past the winter squashes and pumpkins. I tok some pictures for you but can’t figure out how to attach them or email them to you. I’m pretty sure you’ll appreciate them.
eric
Sounds wonderful!
The older I get the less I like hot and cold weather.
Tipper, I have been reading BPA for about 3 years. It is a Joy to watch your YouTube channel also! I also enjoy read the daily comments from some other followers, Randy, Norman, Tricia and Barbara just to name a few. Here in Southern Miss there are almost all of the same “sayings” NC, SC, GA utilize. Although I am originally from Louisiana! Like the Conway Twitty/ Loretta Lynn song, Louisiana Woman / Mississippi Man. The locusts are so loud and I am watching for a Monarch Butterfly here. Six weeks after seeing a Monarch we normally have a “cool front”. Praying for Everyone on this site and Yourself, Matt, His Dad, Daughters and their Families. Thank You for giving Us All a Bright Day!
I was out early this morning deadheading roses and there was a cool breeze and low humidity. It was a beautiful morning and so pleasant. I have had to reset lamp timers in my house as it is getting dark earlier and know I will have to keep backing them up as dark will continue to come earlier and earlier. I have never heard of Ryan Hall? But whoever he is, I hope his prediction for the south to have a snowy bad winter does not come to fruition. Maybe someone can tell me who he is and where to find him. I’ll get prepared anyway. Randy, I will be praying for your pain to be lifted. Meg, I will be praying for a safe trip for your test today and all good results. Please also thank your husband for his service to our country. And prayers for all Acorns in need.
Lynn, Ryan Hall is a weather guy on youtube under Ryan Hall Y’all. I watch him and another youtuber meterologist, Max Velocity. They are almost always accurate with their predictions, more so than tv.
Here in Ellijay GA we are seeing lower nighttime temps, but sure climbs in a hurry during the day. I do believe we will be getting a stronger winter. I’ve noticed the leaves trying to turn for the past few weeks already, and as Tipper says, the greenery looking a little tired and rusty. The spider webs are in many more trees this year, and in the past have only had 2-3 trees with them. And the Juro spider webs are like kudzu. My house is wrapped in their fishing line webs and it is so hard to get them down and they are stuck to the windows. I’ll probably have to have the house pressure washed later this fall!
I’ve got kin folks in ellijay Georgia,Quarles family,Sosebee family, God bless you
Thank you Cheryl! I will check Ryan Hall out. I am always learning from Acorns. I am in Northwest NC and we have leaves looking rusty and falling and the spiders are sure getting busy. I enjoy a pretty snow, but could do without any ice storms! Thanks again.
He has a weather channel on YouTube. Just type in his name and hit search. Watch him a few times and you may like him. I do.
Thanks Richard! I am going to check him out.
We are experiencing the same temperatures. I am beyond ready for Fall, but I always am. It is my favorite season. Hope you Matt are feeling better.
We’ve had record-breaking heat here in eastern Kansas. Days on end of 100+ temps. However, my Vinca plants in pots on my patio have never stopped blooming! They’ve been beautiful, but I have to water them daily and sometimes twice a day. I’m SO ready for cool fall temperatures!
Y’all it has been 48 degrees for 2 days here in NE TN when I get up in the morning and fall bugs are hollerin’. It has only been 80 in the afternoon. The other day storms blew thru in the late afternoon, and temps dropped 12 degrees in 5 minutes. It has stuck around. It is real nice.
Your comments hit close to home. I actually long for cooler weather….which is unusual for me. I have had some health issues this summer and that may be the reason…but it has just been an unusual summer. I have thought about Matt stating that even if tomatoes hurt him, he would probably eat them and suffer……not if you hurt the way I have this year. After one delicious Cherokee Purple tomato sandwich and then followed by a few more slices and a few cucumbers, I experienced the worst flare up of diverticulitis that I have ever had. After a CT scan it has been confirmed that I have severe Diverticulosis. It started in late June and this has been the first week ….after a regimen of Flaygel, which is a whole other story, that I have felt anywhere near normal. All of my beautiful harvest went to my daughter who canned them and made sauce. For any of you who have pain in the lower left side, check it out sooner than later. I thought about Cory several times. Her health issues sound so much like what I had when I was her age. I sure hope she finds some answers to help her……and everyone…please enjoy every bite of the tomatoes if you are able to eat them.
I’m so sorry! I pray you continue to feel better!
The last few weeks I have seen what I tell my husband is ” the beginning of the end” when I see kudzu blossoms .To me it means the end of kudzu and summer ending! Saw the kudzu blooms earlier than I ever recall. Linda
Tell Matt to bag a doe, and not to bother with the “hat rack.” Venison is venison, and despite all the disputation on which sex tastes better, the main thing is, neither is bad. You hold down the deer population by taking the females out of the equation. That is, if they’re a problem in your area. Maybe not for some people, but if people are really subsisting on what they grow, as your ancestors did, you might not want browsers coming by. (Think, The Yearling).
The South Carolina DNR is begging the deer hunters to kill does this year, they have even added another doe tag to the season bag limit. The deer may have reached the point of being overpopulated. The rules were changed this year, I am not sure of the changes, but I think with the extra tags you can buy, the total limit is about 10 (maybe a few more in certain areas) with a limited number of bucks-Hat Racks. This may no longer be true, but I think SC has the longest season of any state, it opens on August 15th in the lower part of the state and does not close until January 1st. There were no deer in my area until the DNR began stocking them in the 70’s. They took off like wildfire. Now it is unsafe to drive (especially the rural areas) in the late evenings, night and early mornings. They are causing many wrecks, some with deaths and a tremendous amount of destruction to farmers and people just trying to have a garden. Tipper would be having trouble with having her garden if she lived here! The DNR loves them, deer and turkey are their bread and butter. The DNR has long since forgotten about the small game hunter except for giving them a little bit of lip service. Many people either forget or don’t realize the Yearling and Bambi grow up to be destructive!
Same thing in west-central Virginia; we have been overrun with deer this year. Most of the does I have seen have had multiple fawns, and I have seen way more bucks than we normally see.
Persimmons and sumacs are taking on their scarlet robes here. Tulip poplars are changing into their bright golden pajamas before they settle in for their winter nap.
Good morning y’all. I hear that most all of you are looking for Fall to appear. I am as well, although I will miss the ability to just walk out of the house without bundling up. If you watch Ryan Hall, you know he’s predicting a snowy, cold winter for y’all down south. Every time I see that I think about how happy Tipper will be to get some packing snow so she and the kiddos can make a snowman. But if Ryan’s right and it comes for you, this would be a good time to stock up on all those items important to you, and to invest in getting one of those safe, propane Buddy heaters so you won’t suffer like you may have last winter. One of my friends up here is already investing in those window kits so she can cover drafty windows and even one door that’s a problem. I’m washing some sherpa lined winter jackets so they are fresh and ready. It’s not smart to wait,and my momma didn’t raise a foolish child. She left that to my brother. Blessings to everyone!
We have a fall sign here in the house now. We have sun catchers in the kitchen window on the west side of the house. The sun has moved far enough to the south now that near sundown the prism colors show on the wall in the living room. And our yard is lightly covered with brown leaves. I am also ready for some cool. It has been an especially hot summer.
I slept in a bit this morning but not so long that when I opened the window in the livingroom to enjoy a bit of fresh air before the blast of seemingly never-ending heat hits, the crickets were/are still chirping. They’re a very fall sign to me. Another sign was very evident when I was mowing a couple of days ago. Spider webs!!! I mow acres and places you’d never think about a spider web are everywhere! I always have a bit of a “fit” as it startles me. Since I’m usually on my zero turn, that makes for some very erratic driving lol The trees, especially my small grove of walnuts, have really started dropping their leaves in the past week. We had our last day of “walk and talk” at my friend’s pool. They’re having it professionally closed today and are sorry they picked a day early in the schedule because we’re still due for some hot/sticky weather. I’m hoping they don’t start picking the corn surrounding my little homestead for at least a few weeks. I rather like the cozy feeling of the giant stalks surrounding me. I pulled up my zucchini plants and will probably pull up some of the tomatoes that are finished as well as the peppers. Thoughts and prayers to all who have asked, Matt and Tipper to get over the crud and Papaw Tony♡
It’s still too hot for me up here and Im ready for a good blizzard and 40 below zero.
It still feels like summer here, but that won’t last for long. In ten days our highs are in the high 60s and lows will be in the high 40s to early 50s. I always love September. My mom shares a birthday with the twins and our anniversary is the next day. Even though it’s still warm here, we have had many signs of fall. Our chickens are starting to molt which is a sure indicator colder weather is coming! Some trees have started to change color already. The nights are noticeably getting dark earlier, too.
I was snapping beans on the back porch last night and the evidence of summer’s end is in the light. The sun has moved well down the horizon to the south and we have lost almost 90 minutes of light since the solstice; it was getting so dark by 7:30 that I could hardly see what I was doing. Fall is still my favorite season but as I’ve gotten older, and especially in the last few years, the end of summer makes me a lot more sad than it used to. I don’t know why. Tipper, your salsa recipe is so good I made a second batch and will probably try to do a third this weekend. My husband called it “addicting” last night; that’s high praise coming from him!
The heat dome was terrible, but the temps we’re having now are nice. It’s been great to have the windows open on the house again at night to let in the cool air and hear the night sounds to sleep by.
We have been in the 100s here fortwo weeks, and finally are down to the 80s today after some rain in the night. I know many have had extreme heat all summer and I wish it had been better for you all.
Despite the heat, we have a few signs of fall. The squirrels are awfully busy now. Buckeye trees have dropped their fruit and the squirrels are hiding it away. The grasses and some plants have lost their summer look and have put on their dusky fall colors. I too am looking forward to fall particlarly this year. The summer weather has been very erratic and unusual this year.
Today my husband, youngest children, and me are going to drive two hours away for my appointment. The city we have to go to is special to me since it is where we made very good memories as a newly wed couple when my husband was stationed very nearby when he was in the Army. We visited there a lot and our first child was born there. Lots of memories. There are tons of trees there, so I am going to be looking forward signs of fall there for sure. We will combine the trip with a large grocery stock up, so we are not unlike the squirrels storing up for fall. Praying for all and thankful for your friendship and prayers! ❤️
Aww, Meg! I didn’t know you were a fellow military wife! And Army, too! My hubby retired in 2024. I’ve been thinking about your appointment today and will be praying. Sounds so fun to visit a city that is special to you and what a blessing to be able to do a big grocery stock up before baby comes! I hope you all have a wonderful day together and receive a positive and reassuring report.
Here in southern VA our temps were up to 98 a few days last week. They’re in the upper 80s this week but still in the 70s at night. We have a large weeping cherry tree out front that has lost all its leaves. It is the first thing to get leaves in the spring. I see a few leaves turning on the other trees but everything is still very green. Most of my flowers are gone with the exception of the dahlias and three butterfly bushes. I am going to miss summer. After growing up in the north, blizzard country, I appreciate the weather here. I would be happy never to see snow again.
Here in Connecticut we have been enjoying waking up in the 55° range. I am ready for fall and the trees are starting to show their color. Hope Matt is feeling better.
Hi Tipper and Acorns. Gimme Fall and Spring. I’ll sleep thru the rest. I love seeing Matt’s Hunting gear out to air. I’m off to watch the cornbread salad video. I love cornbread salad. I’ll make some for later. Keeping everyone here, Papaw Tony and Nana, Our Country and the good folks up Wilson Holler in my prayers. TY all for keeping me and mine in yours. Love ya.
good morning everybody, two three days ago it was in the 90s, now it’s in the 80s, going to have to stop running the window fan at night, it’s getting cool, God bless the sick people, heal them Lord, thank you for blessing us, we wait for return Jesus, have a survive until you get here, and take us with you, thank you for our blessings, our friendships, those that have prayed for us, God bless them in Jesus name amen
I was sitting on my back porch the other day. It was hot (96 degrees) but out of nowhere a cool little breeze blew across my face. That was the first kiss of fall. I have felt a little more since then. I’m looking forward to some cooler temperatures.
I too am ready for cooler weather, but I think we’re going to have a rough winter. I’m anxious about it all. As I get older I see time moving so fast it’s scary. I ask for your prayers
I will keep praying!
Kourtni, I will soon be 73 and as you say, time is flying by now. I know there is nothing we can do it, but it seems like everyday I hear of someone that I know from somewhere in my life either dying or being diagnosed with a serious health condition. Many are life threatening. I know all I can do is be ready, but I sometimes wonder how much longer before it’s my time. After a few days of my ankle not hurting and feeling so much happier to be able to do some things, it has now started back hurting. I need to cut grass and do other things but am unable to do them. Just taking care of my outside dog this morning is a painful problem.
I keep looking for signs of fall in my neck of the woods but haven’t seen many so far. It is still hot with the actual temperatures in the mid 90’s. The last few days have been a little cooler only around 90 with not much cooler temps in sight. The squirrels are enjoying my big pecan tree and the black walnut trees. I don’t use the pecans and can’t give the walnuts away, so I just let them have at it. I wonder how old this tree is, it has been big and here all of my life, I would climb and play in it when I was a young boy. Fall is my favorite season of the year with spring being second, now at my age I don’t like winter time cold or the summer time hot, I have good memories of the past when my life seemed so much better of a plentiful food supply of food that had been put up from our garden, taking up sweet potatoes and peanuts, cutting firewood and making other preparations during the fall getting ready for winter. In the past, I would be all over myself by early November looking forward to Thanksgiving and the opening of hunting seasons for both birds (quail) and rabbit. There were no deer in the earlier years of my life and even after they became plentiful, I never cared for hunting them. Now it is all deer, no birds and very few rabbits.