This weekend was the first official one of fall and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief in looking at the weather and seeing that it looks like summer is going to bow out gracefully this year. But obviously, there are some things that summer takes with her that I will sorely miss, namely, picnics.

I  love picnics.

Picnics turn something super lame (cleaning out the odds and ends of the fridge) into something classy and sophisticated, a meal en plein air. Now I realize that one can technically picnic during the fall as well, but I just never seem to find the time for them once fall rolls in with school and busy weekends. Plus, in the fall I want warm foods, rich bowls of steaming soup and crusty bread fresh from the oven.  But in the summer, you can just take what wouldn’t pass for a real meal inside — carrots, mismatched fruit, endless cheese  — carry it somewhere else and it is suddenly not only acceptable, but encouraged.

A week ago we went on what might end up being the last picnic for awhile. And yes, it was partially an occasion for us and our soon-to-be married besties to whip out our matching baskets.  It was kind of a cop-out picnic in that we opted for a fountain with tables over the ground, but it was worth it. Here are a couple glimpses into that perfect evening, an excellent last picnic. So long picnics, till next year.