Fall didn’t arrive with a big announcement around here. It just started showing up in little ways.

A cooler morning here. A few less vegetables in the garden there. The need to think about winterizing the chicken coop. More time in the kitchen making sourdough and less time outside enjoying the long summer evenings.

As the first week of Fall came and went, I found myself naturally moving from summer into the next season without really trying to. We closed out summer with family, started preparing the garden for its next chapter, and began thinking about what we need to do before the cold weather settles in.

I absolutely love Fall. I love the leaves changing colors, pulling out my hoodies and sweaters, making soups and chili, eating apples and pumpkin everything, and looking forward to our favorite Fall festivals. There is so much about this season that I look forward to every year. It’s the part that comes after Fall that I’m not quite ready for. I’m not a fan of winter or the cold, so I’m going to enjoy every bit of Fall that I can before it eventually gives way to that next season.

We had our end of summer get together on Saturday with a small gathering of family and some of our favorite summer foods. It was a simple way to enjoy one more summer evening together before we fully settle into the cooler days ahead.

And then, on Sunday, I found myself in the kitchen making sourdough.

I’ve been craving a ham and Swiss sandwich from Arby’s lately. I’ve been eating mostly gluten-free for several years because of some gluten-related issues along with my Hashimoto’s. I’m not going to pretend I’m perfect about it. I still occasionally give in to a craving. I’m also still discovering just how many foods have gluten hiding in places I never expected.

We don’t eat much fast food these days, so I decided to take that craving and turn it into something I could make at home. So I made a diced ham and Swiss gluten-free sourdough loaf. This was the first time I’ve tried this one. I thought I could just get some sliced ham and cheese from the deli and layer it and bake the loaf. Nope! I had to use diced ham and swiss. One of those things I was happy I looked up before I just jumped in. I also bought some Arby’s Horsey Sauce and spicy mustard to go with it, and let me tell you—it was delicious. It may not have been the exact sandwich I was craving, but it definitely satisfied the craving in its own way.

Of course, I couldn’t make just one loaf.

I also made one of our family favorites: jalapeño cheddar.

There’s something I really enjoy about making bread this time of year. Maybe it’s the cooler weather or the way the kitchen feels when the oven is on. Maybe it’s simply that Fall seems to make me want to slow down and spend a little more time making things at home. I’m already making a list of some Fall bread recipes to try.

Outside, the garden is telling me that it’s time for a change, too.

I’m noticing fewer vegetables each day, and this weekend I’m planning to start pulling out most of the plants and cleaning up some of the garden space until spring.

But not everything is finished yet.

The marigolds and nasturtiums are still thriving, and the Fall vegetables I planted back in August are growing. And then there’s the watermelon.

That little watermelon has been quite the surprise.

I planted the seeds back in May, and now, as we move into Fall, I’m hoping I can keep this one little watermelon going long enough for it to mature before the temperatures get too cold.

This garden has taught me so much this year. I’ve learned what grew well, what didn’t, what I enjoyed growing, and what I probably won’t plant in the spring again. Some of the vegetables I tried this year would probably make more sense as Fall crops for me. Next year, I’m thinking I’ll save some of those for the Fall and use that extra Spring and Summer space for the crops we enjoy the most.

That’s one of the things I’m learning about gardening: every season teaches you something that helps you make the next season a little better.

And now that Fall is here, I’m learning how to prepare for something else I’ve never experienced before—our first Ohio winter with chickens.

The girls are going to need a little preparation before the really cold weather arrives.

Our chicken coop isn’t particularly close to the house, so we’re researching the best ways to winterize both the coop and the run. I’ve heard different opinions about whether chickens need a heater in the coop or whether a properly winterized coop is enough to allow them to stay warm naturally.

We also need to figure out the best way to keep their water from freezing.

There is still plenty to learn.

And honestly, that seems to be a theme around here lately.

The garden has been a learning experience. Sourdough has certainly been a learning experience. The chickens have been a learning experience. And every season seems to bring something new that I’ve never done before.

I’m beginning to realize that I don’t have to know everything before I begin.

Sometimes you just learn as you go.

This weekend starts our Fall festival season, too, and I’m looking forward to attending one of our favorite annual festivals on Sunday.

And, of course, I’m hoping to come home with some apples.

Because what would Fall be without homemade applesauce?

There’s something comforting about these little seasonal traditions. The festivals, the apples, the cooler evenings, the garden changing, baking bread, preparing the chickens, and slowly putting away the things that belong to summer.

Fall doesn’t necessarily mean everything stops.

Instead, things change.

The garden changes. Our routines change. What we eat changes. What we spend our time doing changes.

And maybe that’s what I love most about this time of year.

There is something beautiful about allowing one season to end while making room for the next one.

I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to summer, but I’m definitely ready to enjoy Fall.

One loaf of sourdough, one garden cleanup, one chicken-coop project, one festival, and hopefully one perfectly ripe watermelon at a time.

Thanks for being here. I’m glad you stopped by!

Kristen

Rooted in This Chapter