The beginning of summer's departure

{ Homemade goodies at The Crawford County Fair }

{ Happily near all the food }

{ Lazy afternoon in the hay }

{ Merry-go-rounding }

All summer I have been looking forward to purchasing (and devouring) a candied apple at the nearby fairgrounds.  Not only that, but also a funnel cake, taffy, and homemade lemonade. All of these wishes became reality. It was well worth the wait. However, that high amount of sugar should be saved for a great fair and of course Halloween. It led to a sweets-induced coma/nap that would definitely hinder a regular day's accomplishments.

The fair is usually a noticeable sign that summer began its sweet and subtle departure. I usually whine (just a little bit) when this happens, but this year, I am welcoming the general nature of autumn with open arms and hands. Perhaps the reason is that our home office felt like an oven when it was a daily 90 degrees outside, making it quite difficult to feel motivated and productive. The reason may also reside in scarves and the vintage red cowboy boots I can't wait to get into. Or it could be the beautiful fall leaves that I am anxious to photograph. 

For today's fall-inspired mood, I have started hunting for some new crockpot recipes. The staples that I made last fall/winter need a little updating. If you have a recipe that you can't live without, please send it to me!