t'is nearly the season of PSLs and spooky stories

[switchbladeeyes]

It was 102°F here today so physically I'm not ready to bust out the scarves, sweaters, and pumpkin spice. But emotionally, I am THERE.

PSL skelly understands.


I enjoy the fall very much and with it come some fun fannish challenges.

👻 I am looking forward to spook_me for spooky and fun stuff with ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night. Since it's a zero pressure challenge, I'm sure I'll sign up this year once sign-ups open. Not sure if I'll keep plugging away with Grantchester or return to FK for it.

☕️ Meanwhile, another zero pressure option is this month's trope_of_the_month, which seems like a fun one and appropriate for PSL season. Theme is "Coffee Shops." That sent me down the internet rabbit hole about Coffee Shop AUs. I'm more of a canon divergence AU kind of person. But I can also see the appeal, and never say never. For the challenge, it doesn't have to be AU though, that's just an option. Canonical coffee shops work too. Because a cafe featured prominently in season 7 of Grantchester, I'm noodling through what I might do with that.

🎃 thefruitbat reminded me about ficortreat, a low pressure option for which you set the parameters of the types of "treats" you'd like to give out. I'm not planning to participate, but it's a fun concept!

Comments

[thefruitbat]

PSL skelly looks quite relaxed. ;)

Indeed, with these temperatures it's more like Summer 2.0.

Highest temp mentioned in forecasts here for the coming weeks is around 83, but yeah, the supermarket are full of Christmas foodstuffs and us just feels a bit weird.

Looking forward to spooky fics season! :)

[switchbladeeyes]

This is not atypical weather for where I am, alas. It should drop into the mid-80s by next weekend, which is better, but still not fall weather.

Your supermarket is out of control!! Mariah Carey isn't even being thawed out yet.

[thefruitbat]

I wish, I wish... These past years they even started as early as August. It's been utter madness. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFZqDcFU4Ow could count as the German gets-on-your-nerves equivalent to Last Christmas. XD )

Keeping my fingers crossed for cooler weather where you are!

[greerwatson]

While there's bound to be an exception or two, this idiocy largely ended here some years ago when one of the big drug store chains ran an audience survey on when people preferred to have the Christmas things go up.

Day after Halloween. (Boy do they whip away the picked-over ghoulies and ghosties and substitute the holly and ivy!)

But hey! Democracy in action....

[switchbladeeyes]

Divided in the States. Some people are raring to go after Halloween while others hold out until after Thanksgiving. I just go as the mood takes me!

[greerwatson]

Well, our Thanksgiving is the second week of October. That does make a difference!

[thefruitbat]

I'd love that to happen here... But this year it wasn't this early, so, there's still hope. :D

Halloween is getting more popular here but mostly as a party theme and an opportunity for stores to sell "seasonal" stuff. Children around here go from house to house with brightly coloured lanterns and sing songs to get candy on Saint Martin's Day, roughly around the same time, so trick or treating isn't really a thing here.

[merricatb]

Cannot wait for fall! It’s been creeping in day by day and I am so here for it.

[switchbladeeyes]

I am so ready! Probably won't start getting the actual fall weather until the end of the month though, alas.

[greerwatson]

I'm planning on doing trickortreatex again. It is an exchange with deadlines; but the minimum is short and sweet.

[switchbladeeyes]

Looks like fun!

I can't do exchanges because they feel too high pressure to me. But I have participated when the event allows you to fill requests without signing up, which this one does. So I may keep an eye open if anything inspires me.

[greerwatson]

Treating people is quite a thing for this exchange. I often write more than one story.