Fun Facts For Fall!

Fall Homeowner Tips and Facts

Although it certainly feels like winter has arrived in the Pacific Northwest we technically are still in the autumn season until December 21st. Halloween and Thanksgiving might be distant memories with Christmas looming but nonetheless we're going to drop some fall facts on you while we still can!

1. Those beautiful red, orange, and yellow fall foliage colors are actually there all year long! The presence of sunlight interacts with the chlorophyll within the leaves and brings out the green color we see as we move into Spring and Summer. With the diminishing sunlight that sadly happens late August and early September we start to notice the change in colors.

2. Love is in the air! According to Facebook, autumn has the biggest change in profile status from "Single" to "In a Relationship" or "Engaged" out of all of the seasons. Not surprisingly, the highest time for breakups is right before summer! Is anyone surprised there? Have you been to Seafair?!

3. Take some Vitamin D to keep the weight off! Not sure about you, but I typically put on a little extra weight as we embark on the fall season. It could be the delicious Seattle seasonal beers and all of the food at holiday events. Or, according to a UK study, a lack of Vitamin D might be at work here. During the spring and summer when the days are longest we've got no shortage of sunlight and Vitamin D isn't a serious issue. However, when the days get short and the sun seems to vanish for 4 straight months it can be a different story altogether. The article goes on to explain a relationship between Vitamin D and triggering fat burning/storage. Talk to your doctor, do some research, and then grab yourself some Vitamin D!

4. Monarch Butterflies are the original snowbirds! Monarch butterflies make their annual autumn seasonal migration south to Mexico and parts of Southern California. They cruise at speeds between 12-25 MPH, which is pretty darn fast! How fast you ask? Well since fall is all about football, here's a clip of my man John Ross, a University of Washington WR, who ran the fastest 40 yard dash time in the history of the NFL combine. Another story that came out earlier this year noted that at one point during a practice John was clocked at over 23 mph.  That's pretty impressive, but pales in comparison to the fact that the Monarch Butterfly can cover over 2,500 miles in a single migration!
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