Putting it all on the line

I spent the majority of the summer months complaining about, well, the summer months.  You know by now that the heat isn't my friend, the harsh rays do nothing but leave me more freckles spatter and the long days (while nice sometimes) have my children sleeping less than I need to.

From the first hot day of summer to the last I'm tapping my foot waiting for fall to arrive.  I watch the leaves, and check the weather forcast online 10 times a day (this may seem excessive, it's not.  Come winter I check 45 times a day, first in anticipation of snow, and then with hopes of no snow - I'm a fair weather friend like that) then when it arrives, I dance around my house with joy!

Autumn brings cooler but still beautiful sunny days, crunchy leaves and rains that leave the air feeling fresh and new (said rain also, temporarily washing the smell of cow dung out of our nostrils).  We are outside more in the Fall, I know that sounds backwards, but with the lesser temperatures and cloudier days, I feel more inspired to get out and about.  And don't even get me started on the ridiculously awesome clothing options that come about in fall - yay for covering arms, legs, butt, belly and feet!

Basically what I'm saying, is I'm pretty much not sad at all to say "Chow" to summer and give Fall a big fat kiss.  Almost.  You see, there's one thing I love about summer, it's something I've only discovered the past few years but it's something I've grown to love.

What could possibly make this summer hater shed a tear? 

The ending of clothes line season.  We have a lovely, long clothes line that I adore.  Not only do I get to hang up all our clothes, leaving them fresh (unless it is manure spraying day, I found out the hard way that if your laundry is outside clean and fresh, while the farmer next door is spray poop everywhere, your clothes will come back in smelling like said poop, begging to be returned to the washing machine.  If they could talk I'm pretty sure they'd say they feel violated)  and crisp, but we are reducing our carbon imprint on the planet, and I'm down with that. 

I'm not going to get all environmentally on you today, because while we do our best to recycle when we can, turn off lights, hang our clothes on the line (squeeh!) there's much more we could do - I don't make our panties from recycled newspaper, I buy toilet paper not collect leaves and we totally used baby wipes ( I was not washing those wash clothes!).  I just love my clothes line, so when the season ends, and we have to start using our dryer again, or I have to hang my clothes on my indoor drying rack, I get a little sad for a moment.

Then I look out the window and see the orange and yellow leaves, look in the mirror and see my full clothed body and check the weather network and see a high of 19 and I smile.  I mean seriously, who wouldn't?  It's Autumn and it's here!

What do you miss about summer or if you're like me what do you LOVE about Fall/Autumn?