I’m ready to start decorating the house to resemble the Fall season, and dammit, want a pumpkin. Not just any ol’ pumpkin - but a fresh from the farm “u pick” your own. So, Nick, Leah (a friend of Nick’s) and myself went online to find a pumpkin farm. We found Demarest Farm.

Upon arriving, we discovered everyone and their brother had the same idea - the place was packed! We parked and - looking across the street at the very long line awaiting a hayride - decided to make our way over to the Farm Store. Crowd swells made us change our mind and we just started walking around aimlessly wondering where to go. We decided to follow the tall cornstalks - and played in them for a few minutes.

After speaking with a couple of others, we realized the only way to get to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard was by hayride. Looking at the line winding its way around the building, Nick offers to “cut” us up closer. “Come on Mom - we can sneak in right here.” “I don’t think so - that’s wrong.” “You think standing in line for this is right?” “Nick, I may have been up for it if you hadn’t said it so damned loud that everyone around us knew what you were planning. Gotta be covert, buddy. Covert. Now - to the back of the line.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re on the hayride (a farm tractor pulling a trailer that had a couple of hay bundles stuck in the middle for the kids to sit on), and were on our way to the orchard. At first glance, wasn’t much impressed. Second glance wasn’t much better. They handed us plastic bags and set us on our way to find apples.

I awoke this morning to a spectacularly gorgeous day here in the Northeast! And the next few days are supposed to be the same. Just what we needed to enjoy this Labor Day weekend.

Fall’s around the corner, and with it comes nature’s canvas splattered with rich colors. It’s my favorite time of year.

• Clear, blue skies.
• Brisk, autumn air.
• Oversized, luminous orange harvest moons.
• Vividly colored falling leaves blanketing the ground.
• Brilliant stars dancing in the night.
• Scents of apple, spice, pumpkin, and woodsy oaks and walnuts…

And Football!

[audio:nflboceph.mp3]

In the tradition of kicking off the season, I salute my teams. Let the raucousness begin!

The Vols kick off their weekend against Southern Cal tonight. Rock on Rocky Top!

Rocky Top, you’ll always be
Home sweet home to me.
Good ole Rocky Top,
Rocky Top Tennessee, Rocky Top Tennessee.

[audio:rockytop.mp3]

[Update] Well it’s not looking promising for the Big Orange. They’re currently trailing 21-38 28-38 31-38 31-45. Need more Rocky and less Top. Or more moonshine maybe. On the up side, keep hearing tidbits of DMB - very cool!

9/2: During the game - one of Tennessee’s soldiers went down in what was a potentially very serious injury. The reports coming out this morning:

Tennessee senior defensive end Xavier Mitchell was carted off the field with 4:10 left. Fulmer said he was taken to a local hospital “as more of a precaution than anything.

“He was conscious,” Fulmer said. “He was moving his limbs to some degree, but he still had some numbness.”

©2007 - Chattanooga Times Fee Press

Here’s to hoping Xavier makes a full recovery and we see him back out on the battlefield soon.