Every year around this time, I start to feel mixed emotions about the weather…or rather, the changes in it. There’s a blend of sadness that summer is nearly over and excitement for the arrival of fall. While Fall’s hint of future cold snowy days is not exciting to me, the changing colors of the leaves is a pleasant sight. Still, the mornings are spent shivering around the house, only to need the air conditioning before the day ends.
I can’t quite put into words how I feel about the arrival of fall. The heat of the summer days slowly waning, and now the kids are back in school. The trail I walk on is suddenly void of kids on bicycles and kids waling their dogs. Even the summer runners staying in shape for track at school are on the trail less and less. There’s a buzz of excitement all the parents post first day of school photos of their kids, and most of my great grandkids head back to school and pre-school.
I always miss the long, warm days of summer—wearing shorts and sandals, never needing a coat. Life feels easier then, with no bundling up or digging out from snow. Still, there’s a certain anticipation that makes me look forward to fall, just a little. Even knowing it will soon give way to winter, I can’t help but welcome the season’s charm: leaves turning yellow with a few splashes of red, and the occasional foggy morning as cooler air settles over the warm ground.
I know it’s odd coming from a girl who truly hates winter, to say that she is looking forward to fall, but the older I get, the more I realize that I really like spring and fall, because the days are warmer, but not sweltering, and yet I love summer for it’s hot days that can be enjoyed with just a little help from an air conditioner, and winter…well yes, 
winter will come after fall, but it won’t last forever, and after it is over, we will once again move forward into a glorious spring, that is waiting…just a few short months away.
