Lake Life in the Fall

If you've been reading, you know that over the summer I fell in love with the lake. Sal and I would go there every chance we got, which would usually be once a week, sometimes two if we cleared our schedules. I became obsessed with the breathtaking views of nature, the colors of summer, the bright blue sky and sun reflecting on the lake, and the sound of a fishing pole being casted and Sal's excitement when he caught a big one! So when the fall season came around, that didn't mean we stopped going to the lake, even though it was starting to get chillier and chillier near the water. Instead, we found ourselves sitting on the porch, sipping on wine and enjoying the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. I didn't think it was possible, but the lake seemed to be more beautiful with the reds, browns, and yellows.

I understood then why so many people leave the bustlin' city, and head to the countryside... why so many authors rent a cabin in the woods to write out their long novels. It's a truly relaxing place that cannot be copied, a place that cannot exist anywhere else ... not in someone's backyard with full views of the neighbors, not in someone's' room with the loud television and computer screen, and not even on a train with tons of people surrounding you. Those can be sanctuaries to some, but it does not compare to being by the lake, in the country, with few neighbors, with few other sounds that the water, the trees moving, and the fish jumping. 

The usual happened... Sal fished, while I read my book. We were together, but doing the things we loved separately, and that just made it perfect. Sometimes he'll stop me from reading to bug me to take a picture, but I secretly love it and am super proud of him when he catches a big fish, even the little fish make me proud... I tend to like the smaller ones better because they're just so cute! He usually always throws them back, unless it's a fish that his buddy can fry up and eat. 

More often than not, we'll leave the lake with our stomach's growling. Sometimes we wait for his friend to come home so we can all have dinner together, sometimes we'll head home and eat when we get back home, and more recently we've taken several trips to a delicious restaurant right down the road called Smokey's, which has proved to have such great food time and time again. Before we know it, we'll be regulars there, and the waiters and waitresses will know our names! 

Without these little getaways, away from the reality of our day to day chores and work, I think I would have lost my sanity a long time ago. Thankfully, the lake is just a short drive away. 

Apples & Weird Snapshots

Every year when fall rolls around, I have to do two things: go apple picking and pumpkin picking. It's tough to go apple picking, because September sometimes doesn't feel like fall, and then I completely forget until all of the apples are off the trees. This year, I made sure Sal knew I wanted to go apple picking and we were able to reserve a day during my "weekend" that worked for both of us, after we worked out of course. After we were all showered, we headed up to an orchard up north that we had been to two years ago - Masker's Orchard. Last year, we went to a different orchard and we didn't enjoy it; there were barely any apples to pick, and though I'm not sure if it was because we went late in the season, we just were not pleased with the selection.

Grabbing our apple bag at the entrance, we parked the car and started walking through the orchard. The views were breathtaking, and I found myself paying more attention to the color of the leaves on the trees, that is until I took a bite out of an apple. The apples were so juicy, fresh, and natural that I found it hard to pay attention to anything else. It wasn't until I finished an apple that I was able to refocus and realize that I had to put more apples into the bag.

Sal wasn't about to pay $30 bucks for three apples. So we wandered around, snapping pictures, and finding the best apples in the trees. It's fun getting lost in the orchard, even when you have a map right on the bag. We talked about what we would make with our apples, knowing that it probably wasn't possible for us to eat them all by ourselves. We had high hopes of making apple sangria, but when I looked at recipes online, I noticed that we would need a lot more than one bag of apples if we wanted to make a big batch.

We quickly grew bored of just picking apples off of the trees, so we decided to take funny pictures, and I challenged him to climb a tree - not sure what I was thinking with his knee being injured and all, but it made me smile and laugh, and Sal would never miss an opportunity to make me happy. He was so determined to get a few snapshots, but I honestly did not understand how he wanted me to pose. He described it perfectly, at least in his head, but I still did not understand the point. And while I will post the pictures, I still do not get them. But hey, at least they're funny... right?

As you can tell I'm trying my hardest not to laugh, because I really did not (and still don't) understand it. It's fine though, as long as the pictures made Sal happy. He's not a huge fan of all of the cliches during any season or holiday, but I'm a sucker for them. I love going apple picking and pumpkin picking in the fall, and I love seeing the tree in NYC during Christmas time, and I have to go see fireworks on the 4th of July. 

After we finished picking our apples off the trees, we headed to eat a late lunch/early dinner. We stopped at a cute restaurant near his friend's house by the lake, and it turned out to be a great decision. I'm always worried about going to new places having not heard anything about the food, or read any reviews.  We both got sandwiches and they were surprisingly tasty! I don't mind eating sandwiches so much, but I always try and skip the fries, though I usually steal a few from Sal (I know Sal, you don't share food, haha). 

It was still early so we decided to stop at his friend's house. I popped open some wine, poured it in a mason jar and sat on his deck, with a clear view of the beautiful fall foliage and the incredible lake. I was so relaxed, and kept thinking to myself that I could honestly get used to this. Imagine coming home from work, stressed after a long day or long commute, and just being able to take a deep breath and look at the absolutely perfect views of nature. It's such a calming feeling, and I didn't want to leave. I usually have a book on me, but it wasn't the case that day, so I downloaded one on my phone (I hate reading on any kind of technology, I'd much rather have a paperback), and slowly, I felt the tension ease from my shoulders, and my mind slip away. 

As the sun was setting, Sal's friend came home, and we messed around with the four-wheeler that he's holding for someone. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day, however cliche that may sound. I didn't want time to slip from me that night, but like all other days, they must come to an end. At least I was able to watch the sun set over the lake, I mean what better way to end your day?