Signs of Fall

In Hillsdale there are three ways that the English family knows fall is coming:

• First we close the pool. This year we closed it the weekend after Labor Day. The boys are gone and the neighborhood kids are back in school. It was funny though, the neighbor girls came over with their friends for one last dip right when we were done buttoning it up for the winter. Oh well, they'll have to wait until next year.


• The second sign that fall is coming is when Dan cleans out the fireplace and gets it ready to help take the edge off those crisp morning air. This morning we did have coffee in front of the fire.


• The last sign that fall is coming is the arrival of the Hillsdale County Fair. I was driving down M-99 and saw all the carnival workers getting things ready. The fair starts this weekend. For those of you who don't live in Hillsdale, this is a VERY big deal. It is so big that all county schools are closed on Monday so the children can go to the fair. You may think this is funny, but when we first moved here, many schools were closed for two days and some were shut down for the entire week so that kids could tend to their animals. This is a farm community after all.

HAPPY FALL