The fall cleanup has begun. While other gardeners are whispering, “well done,” as they rip out vines and stems, I’m pleading, “just a little bit more!” Gardening 2025 has been anything but productive. Sure we’ve had a few of this and that but nothing of the bounty that is typically crowding our shelves and freezer by this time of year. Strawberries are the exception. There are 13 gallons sitting in the freezer!

I’m still grappling with the fact that my kids are back to school and the calendar had the audacity to flip to October yesterday. Although I love the kaleidoscope of colors gracing our landscape, the bleakness soon to follow is not a sight I am ready to embrace. Wasn’t it just August?

But as sure as those feathery clouds of summertime shift to swollen and somber, plump with the rains to end our drought, time marches on. Not that the season of fall is a time to mourn. In truth, we love fall here. The cooler, earlier nights promise extra rest. Cinnamon permeates the oven, its warmth enticing hungry mouths to the kitchen. Corn mazes, pumpkin carving, cider and apple picking ease the transition from swimsuits to sweaters.

Even as I open a can of pumpkin for my recipe, my mind is still stuck in June. Anticipating the summer to come, the things we’ll do, the tasks we’ll complete. Except instead of planning the flower beds, it’s trick-or-treat costumes and Thanksgiving dates. I suppose some fall baking will help me get in the mood for the season! We’re loving this little experiment I whipped up trying to use a half package of cream cheese and leftover canned pumpkin. There aren’t many of these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles left to store and I hope your family loves them as much as we do!