Fall is in the air and that suits us just fine in Ely, Minnesota

Twice this past week there were frost advisories issued by the National Weather Service. For those of us who live in Ely 12 months of the year, those advisories told us what we already knew: the best time of the year is here.
Here’s some of the things we enjoy when there’s frost on the pumpkin:
• Sleeping with the window open. Cooler nights might mean an extra blanket on the bed but not having to worry about mosquitoes sneaking in is another fall advantage.
• Enjoying the vegetables of our labor. Gardens are being harvested and freezers are being filled with canned deliciousness to enjoy over the winter months. Nothing like getting your hands dirty and bringing home grown food into the kitchen.
• Today is the first day of the small game hunting season as well as the opening of the archery deer season. Hunters will don orange clothing, or at least a hat, and head out in search of grouse, hoping to run into a covey and end up with enough birds for a meal.
• Firewood is on our minds now as well. What didn’t get done in the spring has to get done soon. We like to have our forest fuel dried out a bit before it hits the wood stove. Those who plan and work ahead will be putting up firewood for next year.
• Football. Ely’s high school football team is again tearing up the gridiron and the stands were full last Friday night. Volleyball, swimming and cross country seasons are in high gear as well. For parents and relatives, this is the start of getting used to sitting in bleachers and cheering on our hometown Wolves.
• Time. Summer seems to always be so busy that we don’t have time to visit or sit around a campfire and take in the night. Here’s to getting to know our neighbors again and making new friends around the fire pit. Pass the beverages.
• Great fall fishing. If your freezer doesn’t have enough fillets in it, this is a great time to get out on the lake and catch some walleyes. With the leaves starting to turn, spending a day on the water can be magical. And if the fish aren’t biting, you can always bring the shotgun, pull up on shore and take a walk to see if there’s any grouse around.
• Fall colors. If you haven’t ever walked a trail this time of year in the forest with the sun shining through the canopy and leaves falling to the ground, you’re missing out. We’re just starting into Mother Nature’s color show. If you’re not the walking type, take a drive and drink in the colors of autumn.
• Shack time. Being out in the woods when it’s 80 degrees in June, July and August isn’t the best time. Opening up the shack on a chilly Saturday morning, turning on some polka music and firing up the wood stove? Ahhhh.
Fall is in the air and we’re happy to be here in Ely, Minnesota.