simpler times

The shorter days and crisp air have signaled the arrival of autumn, and it has put me in the mood for pumpkins, apple cider, and cozy fall sweaters.  Luckily, an afternoon drive to Snoqualmie Falls brought us in the vicinity of Fall City Farms, a rustic pick-your-own farm that brought back  memories of school field trips to the pumpkin patch. It's hard not to smile when you're surrounded by such wholesome scenery - little kids playing in the hay, doughnuts being served fresh out of the fryer and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, parents carting wheelbarrows full of pumpkins...sigh. If only life were always this simple!

I got myself a solid 13 pound pumpkin (lugging that thing around was my workout for the day), and picked up some locally grown apples while I was at it. There's nothing quite like the taste of a crisp apple straight from the orchard.

Of course, no weekend would be complete without a trip to a local coffee shop. This week's stop was at Stumptown Coffee in Capitol Hill. I have to admit, I ordered a cappuccino mostly because I wanted a photogenic subject to capture (sad, isn't it). My default order is an espresso or drip coffee (straight up, no cream or sugar) because I like the unadulterated taste of coffee beans. But the beautiful latte art I got was worth it :) I was a big fan of their cups & saucers as well - I like it when my dishes wish me good luck!

I feel like I'm going to need a good caffeine boost to get me through this week - my internal motivation has been failing me lately, so I need a good kick start to keep me energized. Maybe more coffee is the answer...