We're on the latter half of the fall season here in northeast Ohio with most of the leaves having already fallen from the trees. For some, this is an ongoing battle, a struggle to keep their yard clear. People (like my neighbor) will go so far as to have not one deciduous tree on their property! 

Then, you've got folks who don't even own a rake. They don't blow it, mow it, or anything. They don't mind or might not have time to deal with them. That's all well and fine, too. 

Personally, I'm somewhere in between. I don't have that perfectly manicured yard, but I do take some pride in my property. While there were still some leaves left on my trees but after a majority had fallen, I mowed the lawn one last time and chopped everything up. Since, more have dropped, but only few have landed upon the front lawn. 

So, I wanted to ask: what do you do with 'em? Are your leaves put to the curb to be sucked up by a big truck? Do you bag them? Burn them? 

Whatever you do, I don't judge. I don't think you should. If someone is neglecting their lawn care, maybe offer to help out instead! I love hearing stories of the sort, like high school seniors assisting the elderly and such. 

Whether you're dealing with grass, leaves, or snow- thanks for listening to WQMX! 

Alright... I'm over it! 

It's that point in summertime where I've more-or-less had enough of the heat and I'm ready for what's next. I'm excited to pull out some of the clothes I have packed away and do all the fun fall things. Autumn is my favorite season, after all, and these cool temperatures we've been dropping down to during the overnight hours have me longing for those crisp mornings, crunchy leaves, and signature flavors.

Who's with me?

Ah, 32-degree nights and 70-degree days: it must be October! Despite being a lifelong Ohioan, I'm always a bit surprised by the first frost of the season, and this time around was no exception. It came Sunday night into Monday, serving as another reminder as to why many of us, (particularly the elderly) migrate to the south for Wintertime. It's cold! 

These days I don't know whether to wear my heavy wool socks or ankle socks when I get out of bed, and no matter which I choose, they aren't suitable for every hour. It's definitely pants season, and I've also got my old-reliable black beanie atop my head as a cold weather staple. Aside from that, you know it's all about the layers. I usually have three or four layers on when I head out from the house and could very-well return in just a tee shirt. 

Personally, I'd rather be hot than cold. Is that a hot take? LOL! I love heat so much that, as a kid, I would always sit directly atop the floor vent in the house to take in as much warmth as possible. I would hear the furnace kick on and drop whatever I was doing to jolt over to the nearest one and plant myself there for its run cycle. I can hardly get enough of heat, even in the summertime. I even love a hot bed and don't mind waking up a little sweaty, consequently. Back when I had my Camaro, on cool mornings I'd go T-Tops off with the heat on low; it was blissful! 

Maybe it's just because my house was always on the chilly side, but I've never enjoyed the mantra, "just put on a sweater." Another blanket on my bed doesn't change the fact that I'm sniffling sleeping in my 55-degree room, but yet again, I digress! 

Scraping a little frost off of my windshield is light work in comparison to what's on the way with snow and ice, so let's just take the days for how they come and appreciate how each season changes our routines. I don't know about you, but I would be bored with hot sunny days if that were all we had, and of course the same goes for wintery mixes. We are fortune to experience diverse conditions throughout the year without having to go anywhere, and we're lucky to be largely unaffected by earthquakes, hurricanes, and the like.

I'm not going to claim Ohio is the number one place to live in the world, but I love it through-and-through and know of nowhere else that I'd feel at home. From the first frost of the season to the first snowflake, the changing weather is always exciting. The wonder as to how much it will snow, whether it's going to freeze, when the first day they salt the roads will be, and more just makes its fun and interesting to live here! Enjoy every bit of it. 

That's all I got this time. Thanks for reading, have a great day, and stay warm these next few months! 

There are some stunning fall colors out here in Northeast Ohio at this time of the year, and from my back porch, I can see them all. They're simply beautiful. 

Some blogs take a bit of effort to think of, but this one came naturally, literally! I was outside, as I so often am, when I noticed that every phase of Autumn was right before my eyes. There were shades of green in the grass and on some of the leaves that have yet to transition. There were reds and oranges, clinging on for just a little while longer, and scattered across the acreage. There were the brown trees, barren against the baby blue sky. Don't even get me started on the gorgeous sunsets mixed into all of this! 

It's supposed to warm up a bit this week, so if you get the opportunity to, I'd highly recommend unplugging from it all and going out to experience some of the beauty of fall in Ohio. Don't forget to snap some pictures!

Check this out for info on fall colors: 2023 Fall Foliage Color Map: When Do Fall Leaves Change in Your Area? | The Old Farmer's Almanac 

Take a hike is a somewhat disrespectful phrase commonly used to tell somebody to go away; I'm sure you already know that. Today, I mean it literally. For your Wednesday in Northeast Ohio, the forecast is calling for sunny skies with daytime highs in the mid-60's! In the fall season, I couldn't ask for a better day than that in terms of weather. Whether you're hiking, biking, working outside around the house, or simply enjoying soaking up some of that Vitamin D; days like these are limited and it's best we make the most of each and every one. 

A comfortable pair of jeans with a flannel or sweater is one of my favorite ways to dress, and temps like this call for just that. For my way into work this evening, with it being a bit more brisk outside, I pulled out my old leather jacket that I have lived a lot in and it feels so good to be back. I really enjoy having more options for matching and layers in clothing instead of being all but forced into rocking shorts and a t-shirt throughout summertime. I've also never owned a car with functional A/C, but my heat works great for these cooler mornings. The sunroof popped in the afternoon is just peak. 

As a little side note, did it not feel as though we were robbed of a proper springtime this year? I feel like we just jumped from winter to summer and had a total deficit of hardly any 60 degree days. Maybe it's just me growing older, but I want it to be temperate for more than just a week! I love every season for their own reasons, but fall is by-and-large the favorite, so I'm hoping we get some weather which actually reflects autumn. If it snows one day in October, no problem! I just think that days like that should be the outliers, not your typical, expected fall temps.

Per the 2023 Farmer's Almanac, they are calling for a colder and snowier winter than last year, which is pretty cool. At least we've got that going for us. I plow driveways with my quad and was shorted last year by mother nature, leading to a real reduction in frequency of jobs and thereby profits for my hard work. I also hold the belief that if it is going to be cold, it had might as well be pretty (and often fun) outside. The lake I typically go out on was safe for like a week, for example, so I'm crossing my fingers for a nice deep freeze. 

For now at least, it's fall and it does feel like it. So however you choose to, enjoy it! 

Fall officially begins tomorrow morning at 2:50am, then we get the prettist scenery! Right now, you are starting to see leaves change, not to much, but just wait for the next few weeks! I found this website, explorefall.com that updates their maps daily. So if you are sticking around NE Ohio or wanting to take a road trip, you'll know where to find all the fall colors!

Well, pumpkin spice is back, so it must be fall? Calendar says no, but it certainly feels like it now! Between the PSL's and Back To School and Halloween already popping up in stores everywhere, I'm ready! I'm going to wait until after Labor Day to start getting my house decorated for Halloween, and I found this really cute DIY on Instagram that I can't wait to make!  

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Macy Blackwell (@macy.blackwell)

The last couple of days driving to and from the radio station, it was hard to not notice how stunning and beautiful the fall colors are right now! This morning I saw a goup of three trees, one yellow, one orange, one red, and it was really picture perfect. Of course I didn't take a picture because I was driving, maybe I'll go back later. The sun has been catching the trees just right, and a gentle wind blowing leaves across the street, it was just a moment that made me think about how lucky we are to take this in every fall in Northeast Ohio!

It's going to be a nice weekend, get out there and enjoy fall! Take a hike, go to a pumpkin patch, take a drive, sit outside with some apple cider! Whatever you decide to do, just soak it all in!!

Tomorrow is the first day of September, which means it will officially be fall soon and one of the best things about fall is the beautiful landscape. Click here for an interactive Fall Foliage map from Thrillist, and maybe plan a roadtrip to take in all the beauty of fall! 

This DIY pumkin planter is the perfect addition to your fall decor. Simple to make, and you can easily make it your own with a varitey of fall flowers! Wouldn't this be a great gift idea too?!? Here's the how to from Better Homes & Gardens: