Top 10 Tuesday: Things I Love About Autumn

1. Honeycrisp Apples - Honeycrisp is my absolute, all-time favorite apple variety!  I so look forward to when they finally make their appearance at my local grocery store.  I love them so much, I kind of have a tendency to stockpile them (as much as you can a perishable item) so that I can enjoy them as long as possible!
2. Mums - My earliest memory of this fall flower is associated with my high school's football homecoming.  Years before I actually attended my alma mater, my stepfather, who was the varsity football coach at that time, always bought my mother a mum corsage (a homecoming tradition in my hometown) for her to wear to the homecoming game.  The corsage came complete with a little plastic football adornment in the middle of the mum and long, dangling maroon ribbons in which glittered words could be written.
3. Fall Foliage - Growing up in the hills of West Virginia, I was surrounded by a beautiful explosion of color every fall.  Some autumns were more colorful than others, depending on numerous factors, but there was always some color.  Living in central Kentucky, where there are numerous farms and fewer trees than back home, I miss the abundance of color this time of year.
4. Crisp Air - Summers in Kentucky can get downright hot and are typically very humid.  I enjoy the briskness of the cooler air that arrives in the fall.  It is a pleasant change from the heat and humidity of summer.
5. Corn Mazes - I love going to corn mazes and getting lost among the maize...  LOL!
6. The Sounds of Football - I admit that I'm not much of a football watcher.  I do, however, love the sounds of football - the cheers, the marching bands, the announcing.  On Friday nights and some Saturdays, I can sometimes hear the play by play announcements of various games at a nearby high school football field.  I love that sound.
7. Chili - There's just something about a pot of chili in the fall.
8. Caramel Apples - Sure, I can technically have one anytime of year, but I typically don't because I associate this goodie with fall.  It just seems sacrilegious to eat them during the other seasons. 
9. High School Memories - I don't know why exactly, but most of my high school memories that I am especially fond of occurred in the fall: football games, Homecoming/Spirit Week events (dress up days, the Homecoming parade and bonfire, etc), and dances after football games.  
10. Fall Break - I LOVE Fall Break!  It's a great opportunity for me to go home to West Virginia to visit my family or travel somewhere during an off-peak season.  It's also a great little break from the little darlings at school.  Don't get me wrong, I love working with them, but sometimes you just need a break.

How about you?  What are your favorite things about autumn?