The weather is finally turning, the temperature creeping down into the lower 70's. The
trees are changing colors ever so slightly and signs of fall are peaking in around every
corner. In Louisiana, the first weekend of October is sure to bring you two things: gumbo
and squirrel season. The family gathers together under a designated porch and feasts
on chicken and sausage gumbo: a recipe perfected by generations of Cajun relatives. The
men spend their days in the woods, clad in camo and armed with their rifles, hunting season
in full swing as they proudly bring their daily kill home to the family. The sounds of LSU
and New Orleans Saints football serves as the perfect background noise over the loud roar
that is our family conversation. Children buzz around the yard with a renewed sense of
energy thanks to the lack of scorching summer heat. We pick pecans and store them in
5 gallon buckets, sell them to the produce store in town for a little extra money. But
there's always one bucket left behind to make our favorite pecan pie. Colorful mums line
the back porch while pumpkins and pinecones serve as tabletop decor. The whole feel of
the house is changing as we sleep with the windows open and the smell of cinnamon
and pumpkin spice fills the air. The first weekend in October was good to us this year.
We made some lovely new memories to store away and treasure always.
