Fall picnic

I love the fall... especially ever since moving to California, where I can enjoy the sight of rain and falling leaves because they don't necessarily mean bitingly cold temperatures and two hours of sunlight per day. I enjoy taking a walk in the rain, shuffling through fallen leaves, the colors, the smells, the cozyness at home.

We got our pumpkins on the first weekend of October, part of a wonderful Sunday trip down the coast with friends. It was a foggy day, but just as we set up our picnic at a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean, the sun started to come out. I had made a large focaccia sandwich to cut up and share, and brought some hot tomato soup in a thermos, which was so pleasant to eat at a slightly chilly seaside lunch. Simple food, dear friends, gorgeous scenery—it doesn't get much better than that, I think.