The FFFF

I've been watching the weather like a hawk- with snow in the forecast tomorrow and windy days that make us feel like we're about to be blown to Oz, it's obvious that our days of mild fall weather are quickly coming to a close.

Last year's adventure was one of my favorite fall memories, and I definitely wanted to make it happen again this year.  We decided Sunday night was the perfect night to observe our Final Family Fall Fling, or FFFF for short.

Time always stands still when you're crunching through the leaves and gathering up acorns, sticks and heart shaped leaves, traversing fallen logs and exploring a tee-pee as the sun slipped behind the trees.

But darkness was fast approaching, so we headed over to make a campfire and eat some dinner.  It was a chilly night, and we were all glad that Daddy was able to make a warm fire so quickly! 

We told adventure stories- the scouting trips Daddy took as a boy, the dead rattlesnake that scared him when it's muscles contracted, and the man we knew that was bit by a rattlesnake at a scout camp the same weekend that Miss Emma was born in the car.

And of course, Daddy loves to tell stories about the reaction between flames and gas.... sheesh, those stories always get the biggest laughs. 

And right when it was pitch black out and we were all stuffed full of hot dogs and smores and really needed to start thinking about heading home... some woodland creatures started making noise right by us!  They weren't exactly howling or gobbling, but they were talking to each other on either side of our campfire and were just a little too close for comfort!  

The kids all clambered up into our arms while we shined our flashlights into the darkness, but... nothing.  Whatever was out there was smart enough to stay hidden, but after that we were definitely ready to head for home!

 We talked the whole way home about what it could have possibly been- coyotes?  Foxes?  Deer?  We may never know, but this year's FFFF was definitely a memorable one!