I know it’s Thursday and tomorrow is Friday but I’m doing it anyway. Anyway, this week on 5 Things Tuesday, Tanya at Salted Caramel asked everyone to name 5 things they love about Autumn.

I wrote a post back 5 years ago (has it really been this long) about the 3 reasons I love Fall. It’s high time I updated that list since at least one of those reasons is no longer applicable. Here are my top 5:

#1: Definitely the changing colors of the leaves. I was lucky to had seen it and be in the midst of it when I went hiking on the day the color peaked last year. I hope I get this lucky again this year.

#2: Apples! Now who can forget about our dear friend Mr. Apple from last week’s post? Apples are in season which means I can buy lots and I love trying the different varietals at this time of the year. I remember how I went crazy for apples at this time last year. I concocted quite a few variations of Apple Pie Overnight Oats I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s so good.

#3: Lower UV rates = less of a scorcher. I live in the intermountain region of the U.S where the average elevation throughout the state is around 4,200 feet. If the sun is out, it’s usually accompanied by high UV rates especially during the heat of the summer.

When autumn arrives (if it ever comes in 2021), the cooler weather will bring lower UV rates. This means I can go outside without slathering a thick layer of SPF 100 on my face, arms, and legs. I also don’t have to wait until near sunset to tend my garden. Best part – I don’t have to worry about my flowers and plants wilting in the heat.

#4: Definitely the cooler weather. I just hope there will be cooler weather this year because it’s been hot – like volcano hot.

#5: Holidays and Festivities. This year, I will get a 4-day long weekend for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am always looking forward to a long weekend despite the fact they always zip by in a blink of an eye. Hopefully, there will be more holiday spirit this year than last year.