Finding Fall

~Tiny mushrooms, pine needle wishes, and a forest throne~

~Katydids and coreopsis, geodes and brown pine needles, a secret forest hideaway~

~Treasures found in a tiny vintage shop and our gifts from the forest~

Autumn can be tricky to find here in Arizona. Last week, Lucy, Robin, Elsa and I journeyed to the Mogollon Rim to see if we could find any signs of Fall. Because our natural forest has very few deciduous trees, the colors tend more towards yellows and browns, and as you can see we found many shades of lovely, warm Autumn Brown. The aspens and oaks were just beginning to change colors, as were the ferns. But the air was cool and crisp and every now and then we caught a wisp of woodsmoke from nearby homesteads. A visit to a goat dairy and a tiny bakery provided us with cheese and fresh bread to eat with our apples and hummus and salad as we sat among the ferns and listened to the woodpeckers and chattering squirrels.

Back at the cabin, we cracked open the geodes to find the treasure inside, then scoured a little antique shop for treasures of the vintage sort. Lucy was thrilled to find a beautiful old trunk to restore, Robin's wish for a cool old lock was fulfilled, Elsa found another sweet lacy bonnet and a teeny tiny mixer, and I found a beautiful doily for our table. We all returned home to the desert with Autumn in our hearts - so excited for the season ahead!