First sign of Autumn

The coming of Autumn hits me like spring fever. For a bit over a week now I've been thinking about October and Halloween... the greatest time of the year. I think it all started when Karen left a Halloween costume catalog out in the living room. It was a weekend morning and while I was feeding my youngest with one hand, I flipped through the pages with the other.

By the second page I was beginning to smell the leaves and the cooler October air. I think I even smelled the liquid from the smoke machine we use for Halloween. This got me thinking that not only will the oldest daughter be able to enjoy Halloween even more because of her age, but Bea will get to experience it for the very first time.

The fascination I have with Halloween I will save for another post. Right now I want to talk about Autumn and those first signs that Summer is finally ending.

We live in Colorado and this by all measures has been a pretty mild Summer with temperatures rarely hitting the 90s and I don't believe we've hit over 100° even once this year. This is a welcome change from the past several years of splintering heat that all but makes me comatose. My wife and I love Colorado but hate the heat of the summers... we are the type that leave the air-conditioning on in the winter.

Now, in the mornings there is a slight cool in the air. I'm starting to have more energy at the beginning of the day and when I get home from work, I'll still have energy to take the kids to the park, or at least walk around the neighborhood. Once the neighbors begin to decorate for Halloween, it should be fun to point out the various spooky creatures lurking on our route.

This morning had a chill in the air; it perks me up and lifts the Monday spirits. Stepping outside to go to work, I was greeted with fallen leaves and slight wind strong enough to brush them along the ground... causing that wonderfully familiar sound that means Autumn is almost here. The Radio Flyer, used barely a day ago, is filling with leaves as if it's collecting for our trip around town. The sun was lower, glistening through the trees a little more and I half expected the windowsheild of our Honda to have mist on it.

Welcome back Autumn... please hang around for a while would you?