Autumn is my favorite time of year. My birthday is in October. The weather is usually nicely cool. The leaves on the trees turn giving beautiful colors to both the city and rural landscapes. I also usually start cooking again in earnest as the weather cools. In summer, when it’s hot, I don’t like to use my stove or oven. This limits meals to uncooked food, like salads. As I get older, I am getting better at eating salads regularly. But I have to admit, a salad is, in general, not a meal I’m going to love.

Cooler weather, though, allows me to make bread and soups. These are meals which I greatly enjoy and feel very filling. (Salads never give me that feeling.) This past week, I made rolls and minestrone soup. Both of these are things that freeze without any problems, another plus. I took a roll and a thermos of soup to work every day for lunch and loved it. First, I enjoyed my lunch more than if I bought something. Second, I saved money. Third, I think I ate healthier.

Even though I’m no longer in school, I like how fall is the start of the school year. While I am always trying to learn new things, official and unofficial classes start again in the fall. This year, I signed up for a class in basic car repair at a local park. This has been a wonderful experience. I’ll be honest that I first thought I’d attend a couple of classes and then just stop going if I got bored. But that hasn’t happened. Mainly because I’m the only person in the class. Also because it’s really fascinating to see all the details of how a car works. Will I become a mechanic? Probably not. But I have already learned a few maintenance things that I can do for myself that will definitely save me money. I’ve easily learned more than the $60 I paid for the class.

In recent years, I’ve also found that there are many fun bike rides in the fall. I should note that there are also a number of good ones in the spring. This year, I went to Detroit in September. That ride was a lot of fun. Next year, I plan to return. And in looking around, I’ve found other rides that are in the fall. Next year, I’m looking at going to Maine for the Maine Lighthouse Ride or to Minneapolis for the Minneapolis Bike Tour.

Yes, there are some drawbacks to fall. It’s still dark when I’m biking in to work. But I have lights on my bike to help out. And it gets dark earlier in the evening, which just makes me sleepy earlier. I thankfully don’t have to cut the grass, but I do have to rake leaves. With the cooler weather, I have to turn the heat on in the house, so my gas bill goes up. I also have to wear different clothes on my ride into work. Fortunately, after biking for so long, I have the proper clothing. These drawbacks are all minor and you can find things to complain about in any season. All I’m noting here is that I love fall.