October Has It All

 

The tenth month of 2021 is packed with festivals, football, and food.  Take your pick along with tons of other things to do.

The cooler temperatures and shorter days of October provide many opportunities for fun. A big football weekend was celebrated in the Southeast with a surprising victory of Texas A&M over Alabama.  University of Georgia took first place in the conference.  Baseball is not about to be sidelined with the National League East playoffs in Atlanta.  Braves beat those Dodgers for your chance to win the World Series!

The Fall Foliage Prediction Map shows minimal leaf color in Georgia.  More colorful leaves will show up before Halloween.  We will enjoy leaf peeping and blowing them off our deck for the next two months. Drives through the North Georgia Mountains are a delight when we travel during the week to avoid the weekend crowds.

Apple and Pumpkin festivals abound in those mountain communities. The Georgia Apple Festival held in Ellijay, GA provides access to homemade crafts, great music, and delicious apples made into fritters, breads, and fried pies. The event can be a bit crowded, so plan for plenty of time to enjoy it all.

Acres of orange cover the ground at Burt’s Farm in Dawsonville, Ga. There is a pumpkin of every size to be picked and taken home to carve or prepare for a pie.  Hayrides are another popular activity at the farm. The smell of baked goods —pumpkin pie, bread, and rolls— draws you to their store where you can stock up on your favorites.

Many festivals were canceled last year due to Covid-19.  There is a pent-up enthusiasm by the planners and attendees for life to be more normal after a tough eighteen months.

The changing seasons makes me stop and reflect about the uncertainty of life and the certainty of God’s promises. As summer fades to fall and then into winter, we are reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

 

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9