Happy October!

I am a day late, but what the hell. Happy October, everyone!

After waiting all year — through the lackluster winter, the early spring, and super dry and hot summer — October is back. Though November and December come close (I prefer the later months of the year), October is my favorite month. Fall colors, sweatshirt weather (normally), Halloween spookiness, football, and my birthday. What could be better? Nothing — at least to me.

The worst thing about October? It passes too quickly and does not last. That is a problem with autumn in general: it seems to be the shortest season. Both winter and summer drag on and on, and spring seems to morph into summer. All year I eagerly wait for fall and then when it comes I seem too caught up thinking it will soon end; enjoy it now while it last, I always think to myself. In the snap of a finger it is over. The trees are bare and it is December — still technically autumn for three weeks but not the same.

With a number of work and personal deadlines behind me, I will try to enjoy October as much as I can now. The sights, the sounds, the smells. On Monday I took a walk to admire the trees in the neighborhood and snapped a couple pictures, including the one above. Right now it is my desktop picture. (Yes, I was careless and allowed the power line to sneak into the upper left corner. Thankfully, though, it is obscured by the menu bar on my desktop.) Yesterday I walked through Hickory Hill for the first time in ages. Basically, I just plan to take it easy and enjoy October as best as I can because it will be over before I know it.