Fall has always been my favorite season. During the first part of my life, the fall season meant it was time to harvest our crops. I am thankful that I grew up in a farm family. When I was kid, I spent a lot of time “helping” my grandpa with the harvest.

My “help” included riding on the combine with him as he harvested corn and beans. I would also ride on top of the gravity wagons as he brought them from the field. Then I would play in the grain wagon while the grain was being unloaded to the elevator that would take it to the grain bin. I would make sure all of the grain got out of the wagon. This meant jumping around in the grain wagon and sliding down the sloped floor, bringing the remaining grain with me.

Many of these activities are now considered unsafe. But, back then, we lived in a time when it was normal to ride in a car without a seatbelt, ride in the bed of a pickup truck, and Jarts was a kid-friendly game. (I do not even understand how throwing large heavy darts towards each other was ever considered safe, but, man, we did love playing Jarts.) I would not recommend children do any of these activities today. As a father, I would not let my child do any of them.

But, I have such great memories of doing these activities!

As I got older, I was a little more helpful on the farm. I started by driving the tractor pulling grain wagons from the farm field. When I was in high school and college, I took great pride operating the combine and harvesting the grain.

Operating the combine was my favorite thing to do on the farm. It is a great feeling bringing in the harvest. You are able to see the results of a seasons work as the grain gathers in the combine. It is a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to see the fruits of you labor.

It has been many years since I operated a combine. But I remember it as if it was yesterday.

Now, the highlight of the fall season is spending time outside with my family. This year we have enjoyed raking leaves. This started when the first leaves began to fall. My daughter wanted my wife and I to rake leaves with her so she could jump into a big pile of leaves. The problem was there were not many leaves on the ground yet.

So, every day we would be in the yard raking leaves into a pile. The pile began quite small and was not big enough for her to jump in. But, last week we had a big enough pile of leaves that my daughter, in her dinosaur costume, jumped into the pile of leaves. She had such a good time as mom and dad watched her playing in the leaves.

We also enjoyed going to the pumpkin patches. She loves to go and play. We love to go and watch her and play with her at the many family fun activities. The corn maze was one of her favorites this year, even though we are lost for much of the time.

I had a fun time being a chaperone for her first school field trip. It was awesome to watch her and her friends play together at a pumpkin patch! They all enjoyed the first field trip of the school year. I am relieved and happy to report all kids were accounted for at the end of the field trip.

The fall season is such a wonderful time to spend outdoors with friends and family. The leaves are beautiful! The weather has been fantastic. I hope you are able to spend some time outside and enjoy the beautiful fall season!

Randall D. Fuller is judge of the Domestic Relations Division of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Fuller is a life-long resident of Delaware County.