It's been a challenge balancing time between my new boyfriend and my mom. I know she's happy for me for finding someone to love and she completely approves of him being in my life, but she and I have been living together for the past 7 years and she's had my undivided attention during that time.
So Charlie and I decided to spend Saturday doing adventures with Charlie's "grandma" (my mom).
We headed up to Helene's Hilltop Orchard to purchase honey crisp apples, blueberry syrup and apple pie donuts to celebrate the flavors of the harvest season. Then we drove over to Council Grounds State Park to take a scenic drive through the woods and enjoy a short stroll along one of the river trails.
Mom's dog, Peanut, joined us for the trip and the four of us had a great time exploring the fall sights and smells. It was a great day for reconnecting with family and enjoying the last weekend of fall colors.
Leaves slowly drifted down all around us while Peanut plowed through piles of crunchy leaves with a huge smile on her face and Charlie raced along the shoreline looking for sticks and taking a dip in the water.
Peanut blends in so well to the leaves!
We sat on benches on the fishing piers to watch for eagles soaring over the river and enjoy the silence of the calm day. The weather was a balmy 70 degrees... so unusual for this time of year! There was no rush, just enjoying the moment and soaking it all in.
Snoozing on the front porch after a long day of exploring and road tripping.
We ended our afternoon sitting on the front porch back at home, talking about the warm weather and making plans for our garden and yard next year. Charlie and Peanut snoozed on the loveseat, while our cat, Sally, played with leaves in the front yard. The warm air swirled around us and peaks of blue sky shone through the cloud layer every now and then. It was just a whimsical magical moment on a warm fall day... sitting with content smiles and warm hearts.
