It is that time of year again

I am trying to basque in this short-lived but much loved season: fall.   You wouldn't think that a teacher would name this time of year as her favorite, but... ;)  Every summer the heat suddenly subsides, you miraculously no longer need A/C, and you begin wondering if you will need a jacket.  It is always short lived in St. Louis but it always puts me in the mood to "buy a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils" - Tom Hanks. 
Fall is kind of a "New Year's" celebration for teachers.  (I have floating in the back of my mind kind of a mental milestone - when I start to loathe this time of year, it is time to retire.) 
My husband and I are starting to take longer walks around our favorite parts of town.  We live in St. Louis Hills and our home base route includes Francis Park, Holly Hills, a nostalgic trek past the football field at DuBourg (go Cavs!).  We do however, like to drive to The Hill and marvel at the tiny, manicured, Virgin Mary-laden yards as we eat an entirely too large gelato.  We also enjoy this time of year walking round Lafayette Park and drooling over all of the century old, amazingly well rehabbed, homes always trying to find the one that looks most like the set of Meet Me In St. Louis. 
Sometimes when we are feeling truly energetic we traverse across Kingshighway AND Gravois and venture to the Carondolet neighborhood - hoping to run into the mayor.  
But the true family favorite walking spot is Forest Park.  We will jump in the van, grab our chocolate lab, Tony, and go to Forest Park on a random Thursday afternoon.  The kids always want to climb trees near our favorite picnic spot by the Muny lower parking lot - great trees and waterfalls you can walk across.  No matter the season they will play on Art Hill - warm weather, somersaults down the hill; cold weather, a sled.  The recently restored Cascades by the entrance to the golf course is our final hike on every visit.  I remember my dad taking me there when I was 8 and taking some nifty fall pictures of me.  Now I take my kids there and tell them about Grandpa taking me there when I was a kid - you tell that story every time, MOM!  And it never fails on our walk back to the van when we all admit reluctantly that it is time to go because it is a "school night" - the discussion ensues of how sad it is that all of their friends that live in the county aren't allowed to go there because it is too dangerous in the city.  To quote my seventeen year old son, "What a bunch of wussies!"