Fall is almost with us. I chuckle as I say this, as it is almost 90 degrees outside as I write this afternoon, the dog days of summer. However, there are signs in NJ and NY that autumn is coming, that cannot be denied. The sun rises later and sets sooner. I measure these things by the trek to work, with that rising sun hitting me in the eyes, and just a bit darker as I walk to my car in the early evening to make the drive home. My drive is about 20 miles, so the change in rote is very noticeable to me. I smell the freshness and coolness in the air in the early morning as my dogs make their first run outside. The earth smells differently than it does in the heat of summer. Plants are beginning to change, getting ready to move back into themselves, away from the huge explosion of growth through late spring and summer.
I try to embrace every season, but it is hard to keep my thoughts away from school, from cooler darker days. I work at a college and it is always a joy to meet our new students. They are ready for a fresh start, full of expectation, sometimes nervousness, as well as bravado to hide the nervousness.
Meanwhile, I'll try to get ready for the cooler weather, the need for a sweater, a coat, even a hat. Are you ready?
