Ah, Autumn

Minnesota has about 6 or 7 seasons:

• Deep winter
• almost spring
• spring
• almost summer
• hot summer
• autumn/almost winter
• winter

We're in autumn now, which some days feels like almost winter and others feels just like autumn.

Our tradition is to go to the local apple place. It's a roadside stand that advertises "95 kinds of licorice" and "the pies are hot when the light is flashing". The 'light' could be used to land airplanes, it's so bright. Polka music plays, kids are picking out pumpkins in the fields, and we spend a large amount of cash (no credit cards accepted) on stocking up on apples, gadgets (they have an excellent kitchen gadget section near the tortured gourds), farm-to-you meat and pies.

Pies. Plural.

They have about 6 kinds of pies, and all are often fresh or ... frozen. I can't tell you how excellent it is to have a blizzard howling outside (see 'deep winter' above) and bake an apple pie, smother a slice in whipped cream, and sit back, put up your feet, and contemplate the whiteness outside.

I stopped by the Apple Place once after work to refill our Pie Well and got pulled into an impromptu polka in the parking lot with the owner, who is probably about 80 years old. Music was blaring, people were dancing, and the apple struedel was hot and tasty.

Can it get any better than this?

Rhetorical question. Do not reply.