Fall Back

At long last, it is fall.

I spend all of summer looking forward to September. Don't get me wrong -- summer has its merits. Kayaking, for instance. (After all, I live up north-ish. Not a lot of that going on before May or after August.) But after a couple of months of heat, tourists, and jacked-up gas prices, I'm ready for the moderation of autumn.

I love the fall. I love the colors, the weather, the food, the feeling that, even though I haven't been in school for a few years now, things are starting afresh. I love that the temperature is suddenly bearable and the rain (admittedly not absent as long as usual) has returned. And while South Dakota might not have the vivid colors that Wisconsin has this time of year, it's a gentler autumn, one with less wind and biting rain and a bit more sun. The kind of weather that's perfect for a hike or a drive in the Hills.

Of course, it also means that by the time I get back from my vacation, it'll be dark dark by 7:00. (And then Daylight Savings will end and the sun will be down before 5:00...)

That'll take some adjusting.

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