Autumn Activities

        When people think of Autumn, there can be a lot of different things that come to mind.  Some folks delight in the colorful transformation of the leaves on the trees, while others lament the departure of summer.  In my own humble opinion, Autumn is an incredible season in New York, with so much to do and so much to see. This past weekend, I managed to do many of my favorite fall activities, which made for an exhausting weekend.
        I don't often get to see my relatives, and Saturday was the day we had chosen to spend time together. My family started the day by driving upstate to my cousin Anthony's house, where we stopped for breakfast. Our first stop of the day was at a local orchard to pick apples. Unfortunately, there were not many apples on the trees as it is the tail-end of the apple season. Still, we managed to pick a few pounds to take home. Our next stops were two different vineyards; an outing for an Italian-American family without these crucial stops would indubitably be problematic. The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside tasting wine as we looked out at the white stone cliffs near the lower Hudson.

        The next stop was a pumpkin patch which had not only pumpkins, but other seasonal items such as cider donuts and fresh apple cider. I purchased a ride pass with which I went on a hay ride, cow train, and down a large slide a number of times. I would be remiss (or deemed juvenile) if I failed to mention that I partook in these activities with my young cousins; it would also be dishonest to say that I did not enjoy being pulled on a fake cow by a tractor (see photo below). After picking a few pumpkins my family was understandably famished, so we headed into the town of New Paltz for dinner. The restaurant was called P & G's and they had some really great bar food (e.g. wings and burgers).

        Although this sounds like a lot of fun for one day, my day did not end when we said goodbye to our relatives. I had bought tickets to go see a carved pumpkin exhibition with a close friend later on that night. On the way there, we purchased pumpkin spice lattes: one of many pumpkin-related autumnal items which has risen to stardom over the last few years. The exhibition itself is called RISE of the Jack O' Lanterns and the beautifully carved pumpkins are displayed all along a path at Old Westbury Gardens. I would not describe it as scary, but it is definitely very dark with the exception of the pumpkins. Most of the pumpkins are carved with themes, which typically include movies, sports figures, and anything related to current pop culture. I would highly recommend this event to anyone that has an appreciation for fall or unique artwork. As is often the case, great company makes for a great time, and my friend and I had just that: a great time.

To + Infinitive and Beyond - "To boldly go where no one has gone before"
Today we will be looking at the to + infinitive verb construction. Fear not, although these terms might make someone feel like they are trapped in an episode of Star Trek, infinitives are not as bad as they sound. Simply put, an infinitive is the unconjugated form of a verb. The word to can be used in front of the infinitive to express an action which is unreal, unfulfilled, or potential. There are also several verbs which are generally followed by this construction. Here are some examples from today's blog.
"...with so much to do and so much to see."
"...I managed to do many of my favorite fall activities..."
"I don't often get to see my relatives..."
"I would be remiss if I failed to mention..."
The first example falls into the category of potentiality, as this sentence describes things that a person could do during the fall. The next three examples are those which have verbs that are typically followed by this construction (manage, get, and fall). The following link contains other verbs that take this construction as well as a number of practice activities. To + Infinitive Verbs

Vocabulary
Lament - To feel sadness about something
Humble - Modest
Indubitably - Without a doubt
Problematic - Something that causes problems
Remiss - Careless
Juvenile - Immature
Famished - Hungry
Jack O' Lanterns - A carved pumpkin Jack O' Lantern Etymology

Vocabulary Activity - Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word
1. Jason, stop acting so __________.
2. His behavior is truly starting to become _________.
3. After their long hike, the group was ___________.
4."Always be gentle and _________."
5. A large amount of people will __________ watch the Superbowl.
6. We should make some __________ this weekend.
7. Fans of basketball _________ the passing of the iconic superstar.
8. They were ________ to ignore all of the warning signs.