A Little Autumn Fun | what happened in Summer

Hallo! So how is everyone doing? Not really sure how to start this post, but after an unplanned summer hiatus, I am back! With the fall season in full swing and school back in session, I thought that this was the ideal time to write an update and share the autumn fun things I’ve been up to lately.

What happened

First I’ll start with an update of sorts. When I wrote the One Day Trip to Vermont post I had not expected that it would be the last post I’d write or publish for over three months.

I do not know what happened but somehow between work and life, I subconsciously decided to take a summer break from blogging back in early July. I didn’t write that month and the next thing you know nothing was published in August either. Or in September. Or for the huge chunk of October.

Although it was an unplanned break, I did have posts & ideas to write, it was not unwelcome. It was nice not to feel like I had to write a blog post or that I had to take and share pictures.

For the last couple of years, I had been trying to monetize Plaid + Sugar and take it to the next level of blogging achievements. But after not seeing any huge developments, blogging began to feel like a chore. And the joy that I used to get from writing began to wane.

Plaid and Sugar began as a comfort project of sorts. It has been with me for over four years and so when the enjoyment and happiness started to diminish, I just stopped writing. Little did I know that it would take me three months to come back and write.

I missed it. And I missed all of you who read my blog.

And while I don’t know if I’ll be posting every week, all I can say is that I’m glad to be back.

But now let’s focus on the latest seasonal going ons.

Autumn Fun (how I’ve been enjoying the fall season!)

Surprisingly, in the past month and a half, I’ve done more seasonal activities and partaken in autumn events than I did in all of the summer. Due to work, summer was uber busy and we did not get to do many things since everyone was working and schedules wouldn’t align.

With school in session, I somehow have more time now. And with that extra time, I decided to make this the best fall yet!

Corn Maze & Farm Fun

Who doesn’t love corn mazes? It makes one feel like a child again. Getting lost while trying to find the exit or the next marker and getting one’s boots covered with one solid inch of mud. Oh, right. The latter was my experience!

There had been quite a heavy rainfall the day prior, so the ground was a bit of a mess.

We went to Le Ferme Forget which is on the island and it was bigger and cuter than I expected. At the entrance, they have an area of farm animals, from chickens to sheep to ducks. Then there’s the pumpkin patch area and the cutest house decorated with pumpkins, and it’s so adorable!!!

As in I had to take a million pictures because it was so plain cute 😍

After spending forever in the pumpkin shack we headed toward the corn maze. As I mentioned it was m.u.d.d.y. MUDDY!

As in after walking three meters, my boots were covered with a thick 1-layer of mud and it made it impossible to walk properly. As in I walked like Frankenstein’s monster.

Unfortunately, we did not get many pictures of the corn maze. We were a bit busy trying to a) remove mud from our boots and b) find the exit or at least the next milepost of the maze

To commemorate our visit, we ended up buying some small & charming pumpkins that are way too cute to eat. Also, up to that moment, I had no idea there were so many types of pumpkins and squash! Long ones, skinny ones, tiny ones and some that look like two pumpkins were squished together.

Apple Picking

This year’s experience was a bit different but nevertheless still super fun!

The last time I went to an orchard was back in 2020 and this was one of the activities I was looking forward to this fall. Like always, we ended up doing it later than expected, but you know “better late than never”!

We went in mid-October and while most trees were barren in the easy-to-reach places, there were plenty of apples still in the highest places. However, that did not deter us from enjoying ourselves!

Thankfully there were plenty of cute ladders all around. So after lugging one around (it was so cumbersome!) we settled it at the base of a tree and started picking.

With it being a Wednesday, the orchard was very quiet, empty, and calming. Just how I like it.

Plus it was fun to just have the orchard just for ourselves without worrying that we were knocking elbows with others. And climbing the ladder and stretching to grab apples made me feel like I was an old-fashioned apple picker!

It was surprising to see so many apples on the grounds, especially since it wasn’t one or two but hundreds. But it seems like they do not go to waste, rather it becomes animal food or fertilizer for the trees.

Is apple picking cost-effective? Nope. But is it a fun autumnal activity? Heck yeah!

Hiking Mount Kaaikop

One of my “firsts”. Not because it was my first time hiking but because it was my first time hiking to the top of a mountain! And even though I was extremely worried about getting hurt or not being able to make it, I survived lol.

To describe the hike in two words would be: exhilarating and energizing.

After driving through some lonely dirt roads, we made it to the base of the camp with no idea of what we were supposed to do. There was no sign that said “this the main office” or “for help go here”. Only a map that wasn’t very helpful and free access to the trails. Noticing that people were arriving and hiking, we hit the trial.

We first did the Tour du Lac which is ideal for beginners/intermediate and it goes around the late with no dramatic inclines etc. However, there was no visual access to the lake plus we got lost. Kinda. At one point we noticed that was no signage for the trail we were on and it was absolutely quiet.

Eerily so.

However, we continued on and our perseverance paid off because we finally found the main office. We then had to pay the entrance fee, whoops!

In addition, we found the lake!

On our way back from the mountain we stopped and took many a photo.

To get to the mountain we did part of the trail we just had done and then headed upwards.

To be honest that hike was nearly the end of me. My legs were burning by the 1/4 mark and I felt like I was being roasted by the halfway point. It was definitely not for the faint of heart, but in my defense, I had done another trail so I was a bit tired lol.

After lots of mini-breaks, we finally made it to the top of the mountain. And it was so so worth it!

Even though I’ve been to Mont Tremblant and area, I had no idea how many mountains and lakes there were in the Laurentians. It was awestrucking (is that a word?) to get up there and see the countless mountains on the horizon and the dozens and dozens of lakes between them.

It was an amazing experience. Plus with it being fall, the changing colours added dimension to the horizon, and just wow.

Plus the fall foliage along with the receding adrenaline, the way back was much much easier than I thought it’d be. It still took us about 75minutes to get back to base, but it was much quicker and less painful than going up.

As first experiences go this one was exhilarating, physically stressful but fun. Nature is always beautiful but in the fall it is absolutely gorgeous.

Plus the weather was ideal for this activity. At first, I thought my sweater was a bit too much for the warm weather, but near the end of the hike, I realized that yeah, it’s better to wear too much than too little. Fall weather is unpredictable and especially while hiking up a mountain it is better to be over-prepared.

I had not expected to hike Mont Kaaikop this year, or ever really, but I’m so glad we went. Not only is it one of my favorite experiences but I can now say I’ve climbed up a mountain!!

If you’re looking for a great place to hike that is not too difficult and gorgeous, I absolutely recommend Mount Kaaikop. There are about 10 different trail routes and, as someone who hadn’t gone trail hiking in years, perfect for novices. The only downside is that it’s about an hour from Montreal but the view and trails are worth it.

Fall Baking

Earlier this month it was Thanksgiving which obviously means lots of baking! That was a super busy day but I made a mixed berry pie, a pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cookies.

We had guests over and they loved the pumpkin puree cookies! They’re not overly sweet and rich in flavour. I’ll probably be sharing the recipe in November (hint hint).

But I’ve also done other types of baking such as making apple cinnamon scones and apple crumbles among other desserts with the apples we picked at the orchard.

There’s nothing like having a cup of tea with cookies fresh from the oven while sitting on your front porch and watching the leaves slowly fall.

Long fall walks

Who doesn’t love walks? Especially in the fall when the leaves are at their best and the weather is finally cooling after a hot intense summer?

Honestly, there’s nothing much to say about autumn walks. Except that they are almost life-giving. Or rejuvenating.

Similar to spring, the autumn season brings about changes both external and internal. They both remind me that life is constantly changing and that they are always new opportunities and fresh ways to find purpose in life. However, there is also that reminder that life is short and to make the best of it while it is in “bloom”.

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So that’s what I’ve been up to lately.

It’s weird to be back here again, but it feels like coming home after a long vacation. To come back to my comfort place, the place I can call my own.

With the holidays drawing near, plus with it being my favorite time of the year, I hope to shake off my rustiness and get back to writing lots of fun and Christmasy posts!

Plus, it’s my five-year blog anniversary next month!!! So while I’m not sure what I’ll do or write for that day, I do hope that you’ll come and celebrate with me.

Have you done any fall activities or things this season? What is your #1 thing to do for autumn fun?