You might just hate me for uttering these words: Fall is coming. I can feel it in the soft, cool breezes that are wafting through the balcony door right now. I could feel it in the rain drops that fell from the greyish sky this afternoon as we drove along Queen Street. I could see it in the dark, cloudy sky that hovered just a little to close to the horizon for my taste. "Sweater weather" my mom calls it. And as much fun as summer is, a real, Ontario autumn is one of the nicest seasons that anyone could ask for.

Don't get me wrong -- I love summer. Barbeques, picnics and trips to the cottage are absolutely amazing. Every weekend means trekking to the market or walking along Queen or Bloor Street, hand in hand, peeking into stores, buying flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables. Evenings last longer, the sun sets later and everything just seems much more relaxed and easy-going. The summer is a time for drinking beer on a patio, for wearing skirts and tank tops and for keeping the air conditioning cranked up -- especially when you do as much baking as I did this summer.

But autumn...the season I have always loved the most is almost upon us once again. Autumn in a city like Toronto is nothing short of spectacular. You can smell the scent of pencils being sharpened for school and hear school kids playing on the play grounds. You can walk down almost any street and see flower shops bursting with late-summer blooms and the beginning of the squash and pumpkin sales that predict the coming of Halloween. The trees turn colours you never thought could occur other than in dreams. And, it is still warm enough to sit on a patio and drink a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate and cool enough to drag out that favourite comfortable sweater and pair of jeans to wear while doing so. It is the final season during which yard sales are still welcome and long evening walks after dinner are comforting.

These delicious, hearty Banana Coconut Pecan Muffins were perfect with a hot cup of coffee on the balcony whilst I enjoyed a really good book. I took note of the sun setting over the building behind ours and sat, drinking in the light breeze and scents it carried of the cool weather to come as I said my silent good-byes to summer. A good friend that I know I'll see again next year. On to autumn...and an utterly gorgeous one it is going to be.