I must admit, I’m a sucker for this beautiful, New England, fall weather. I’m also a proud leafer; that is, I love to go to the mountains and look at the foliage. Last weekend I was up in New Hampshire, enjoying the warm weather and a wonderful weekend with family. There were many people in and around the White Mountains, and I observed one of the most ridiculous things ever. Someone was driving up the slope of a mountain, standing up in the driver’s seat, taking pictures of the foliage through his sunroof! This is really unsafe, but at the time it seemed so silly that my first reaction was to laugh. However, after thinking about it, I realized it was actually pretty dangerous.

After judging this person, I went to a fall festival that was held at a ski area. One of the attractions was a concrete slide down the mountain in a plastic cart with a handbrake. I went to the top of the slope and flew down the mountain. It was a big thrill and there were some risks involved, but the ride was constructed safely and had warning signs at dangerous points. I guess there’s something about the fall that makes people want to do silly things. I always feel like I end up doing more outdoorsy things during the fall because it’s kind of like the last hurrah before the long dark winter. Even seemingly innocuous activities such as apple picking can turn into a tree-climbing (or falling) fiasco if you’re not careful. Live it up this fall, but be safe!

-Frankie