Welcome To The Fall

Sitting in Los Angeles you wouldn't know Autumn was upon you. Nights become slightly colder and gradually longer, yet the days stay warm and bright. The End of Summer sneaks up, leaving you blissfully unaware until some event wakes you up to seasonal reality.

For me, in LA, that Event was always Halloween. Hunting for last minute costumes for the kids, gathering with friends, and eating candy, perhaps by the first lit fireplace since March, all get me in the mood for the colder slice of year. All-Hallows tunes me up for the grander Holidays, and girds me against the coming of slightly less warm days and much colder nights.

This year, a business trip took me to the Great Midwest, where the changing color of the trees offered a spoiler to this year's Pumpkin Fest. I was reminded that folks living in many areas of this great country receive earlier (and harsher) cues for the arrival of Fall.

Leaves of red and gold may be beautiful to look at from the warmth of a heated car, or when seen through the window of a cozy house, but I'll pass on the frosty experience of viewing them outdoors. I believe I can live with my usual timing, my unawareness until Halloween taps me on my skull, points to the calendar and says 'Wake Up, It's Fall'.