I don’t know about anyone else, but I could not be more excited about the fact that it’s autumn. I absolutely love this time of year; the scent of falling leaves, the colors on the trees, the crispness of the air.

That being said, I plan on completely ignoring the fact that fall leads to winter, that most horrific of seasons.

Instead I will concentrate on the fact that, although it was a fantastic summer, I can now focus on two of my favorite things about autumn: Hiking and Halloween.

For anyone who has read my blogs, you most likely know I am a huge camping buff and take almost any opportunity during the summer to pack up my gear and hike out into the woods for a weekend of relaxation in the outdoors.

Despite the steadily dropping temperatures, I still try and go camping a few times in the fall. Sure I have to pack some extra clothes and blankets but do you know what I don’t have to pack? That’s right, bug spray. No more bees, wasps and most importantly... mosquitoes.

Not only is it infinitely more beautiful to take a stroll amongst the auburn, goldenrod, and deep scarlet leaves adorning the trees, I find a hike to be much more relaxing when not swatting at any exposed portion of your body every five seconds. But hey, that’s just me.

Now, to what makes fall especially exciting to this humble reporter: Halloween. Can’t you just feel it in the air? Parents are busy sewing together costumes for the kids, families race to local farms to pick the best pumpkin to fit the frightening visage that will adorn their front steps. And of course, my favorite part of the whole celebration ... decorations.