Fall is not all *that* fun down here in Florida, (matter of opinion, I suppose) but compared to where I grew up, (in and around the Boston area), it kind of pales by comparison.
Still... There ARE some things to look forward to :
1) THE HEAT is almost over and by late Oct. it's safe to venture back into the parks, (even the AK
) until early May of next year.
2) The holidays are coming. I'm a big fan of all of them. (Except it's kind of sad that Halloween isn't what it used to be - at least in terms of Trick or Treating.) "Up north" we'd have literally hundreds of kids at our door, and every street in our neighborhood would dress up with jack o'lanterns and graveyards and sheets hanging from the trees illuminated by black light spotlights and all that good stuff. Sadly, that doesn't happen in Sarasota. Most folks just turn their porch lights off. We used to get maybe 35 kids or so, but over the years that number has dwindled down to ZERO. Makes me very sad.
But, back to the good stuff....
3) There is *nothing* like that first cold front that blows through your FL neighborhood ! You can open the windows, the cats can push out the screens, (
) and it's just a feeling of being able to breathe again.
and
4) I guess it's that it just marks the beginning of my favorite time of year - Oct -April or so, (and judging by the fact that out population doubles down here during that time, I know I'm not alone.
And I suppose, on a final note, it brings on the Christmas season. That time of year that changes as you pass through the different stages of your life.
When you're a kid, it means toys and cookies, and for some of us the wonder of Santa Claus. As you grow older, that magic is replaced by other things - new friends discovered, first loves to share the holiday with, and a feeling that soon you'll be old enough to begin your own holiday traditions.
Lastly, as you get older still, the yuletide brings to mind relatives and loved ones that are no longer with us. Gazing at that tree in your living room doesn't just represent so much what is
to come, (presents on Christmas morning ! Mom's turkey and stuffing !) but also things that have
come to pass. The sound of your Grandmother playing the piano, the memory of all your relatives trying to get to sleep on couches and cots scattered though the house, the overwhelming vision of just how dirty your kitchen looks after Christmas dinner is over and thinking to yourself,
"I'm never doing this again..." when you know full well you'll be right back at it next year.
Yes, if think if anything what I love the most about fall and winter and the holidays in general is the mark in the passage of time that they represent.
For better or worse.
"The autumn leaves have got you thinking...." - "Wasted Time",
The Eagles
)
