the fall

for some, labor day is a sad reminder that summer is over. for me, labor day ushers in my favorite time of year--the fall.

flowers are fading, leaves are turning yellow, red and brown, days are getting shorter, but the fall is a time of new beginnings. it's the beginning of football season. it's the beginning of cool weather. it's the beginning of wearing sweaters and coats and all those fall clothes i love. it's the beginning of new tv shows. in the summer, everything comes to a halt. small groups stop meeting regularly, people go out of town, life operates on an irregular schedule. the fall ushers in a season of regularity, a time of getting back into routines, new beginnings.

i love hearing the leaves crunch under my feet. i love riding my bike in the crisp, sunny air while dodging university of washington fans decked out in team colors. i love that i can watch a college football game at any time of the day on saturday. i love that i can watch football all day sunday, too. i love that i no longer need the air conditioning in my car. i love driving with the windows on and some music blasting. i love wearing sweatshirts again. i love that the evenings are cool when the sun goes down. i love that i don't need my fan to cool down my apartment anymore. i love fall foods like pumpkins, squash, soup, and cider.

i love the fall.