I noticed that over the weekend many homeowners in the ‘hood hauled out their harvest and Halloween décor to give a touch of Fall flair to their front yards, even though the official event is still two days away. Scarecrows stand at attention looking over the remains of Mr. Bones, mock gravestones, mischievous monsters and ghoulish ghosts and goblins. Mums are popping up all over in gardens or have replaced the bedraggled-looking petunias in porch pots, which were on their last leg from that recent heat spell.

The nippy temps were evident when I set out this morning, but the pale sun warmed me up slowly as I walked down to, and then around Council Point Park. All the weather forecasters are promising a week of gorgeous weather and I am hopeful to reach my goal of 500 miles walked before month end … I have my fingers crossed to do this anyway.

Saturday was a lost cause for walking in the morning due to the rain, so I tried to recoup lost steps yesterday and today.

Sunday I went grocery shopping, so I racked up nearly five miles by walking laps around the perimeter of the store, plus gathering groceries and then schlepping them into the house.

Meijer was in full-blown Autumn mode.

As I travelled past the Yankee candles I inhaled deeply to immerse myself in the intoxicating scents. Besides the usual fragrances, two new scented candles from their Fall 2015 collection not only smelled heavenly, but were right up my alley. The first was “Autumn in the Park” which touts the scent of freshly peeled apple, lemon zest, a hint of pumpkin spice and fallen leaves; then there was “Crisp Morning Air” which is a blend of eucalyptus, mint, pear and sage. I hated to leave that corner of the store and in the brief time I spent there, the potpourri of smells clung to my clothing.

Competing with the intense scent of the candles, was the wonderful smell of chocolate that wafted from bags and bags of Halloween goodies, freshly unboxed from cartons and stocked on those store shelves, just waiting for you to happen by.

In garden supplies there was the strong smell of grass fertilizer which permeated the area, although the pungent smell of mums and their musty-smelling loam invaded my nostrils as well.

I’ve always been partial to those old scarecrows, whether they are used to keep your corn ears intact by keeping the crows at bay, or merely just for holiday décor, so I bought one yesterday. She’s a tall girl, cute as a button, with a checked blouse and denim pinafore and she sports pigtails which are actually straw-colored raffia. She looked cheerful and colorful – the perfect ambassador to stand by the door and say “Welcome all and Happy Fall!”