fall fall fall

oh man, i miss fall in utah...  i miss utah.

if i were in utah today i would go for a drive up the alpine loop. i'd take a limeade from the burger shack up canyon road.  then i'd drive back down and drive over to the lake. and then i'd stop at the shave ice place across from helaman halls (the blue shack- Hokulia's... if you haven't been there, i don't know why you are still reading this. get yourself over there and get a half pina colada half coconut with ice cream and a snowcap. sheesh). and then i'd go to sammy's for a burger. and then i'd go to a byu football game in the stadium. (mind you, it's my perfect day, so there's a football game on a thursday) and then i'd drive in the evening and find a good pile of leaves.

yeah, that sounds good.

instead i'm in good ol' west des moines. though the high today is only 74, it doesn't feel the same. i walk out of a building into crispy fall-ish air, and look for the mountains (with their gold leaf lava starting to pour down) and think about driving around downtown provo, down to my orchard...  i don't see students walking everywhere south of campus and i can't subdue the desire to walk around byu's grounds and maybe stop for some cinnamon bears in the bookstore. instead the only students i know are my husband's friends and they stay on campus  and in ward activities. i need to live in a college town.  where am i going to see what girls are wearing for fall?  what color boots and how high?  will scarves still be big?  are jeggings really going to be huge?  what jacket is everyone wearing?  and what kind of jacket to you get when you have a watermelon residing under your shirt?

also, i miss nordstrom. bad. there's not one in the entire state. in fact the closest one is in the Mall of America 3 and a half hours away. guess who may be taking a day trip, just to roam the floors?  (forget the rest of the mall)

there are farmer's markets here like you wouldn't believe though. tonight we'll pick up another watermelon and some more sweet corn.  and maybe start some canning.

i guess it's not all lost.

post edit: if i were in provo, especially if i were tomorrow night, i'd be going to the (FREE!) rooftop concert series downtown.  you know why?  cause benton paul is headlining. and he is a dreamboat.  and 'i only see you' was my first dance song, and i'm listening to it now, and it's taking me back to a string light lit ranch last november...