The End Of Summer

 

When the Sun comes up like this, you just know it's gonna be a scorcher!

While it may feel like Summer is still kicking strong, what with our heat and humidity, this is about the time of year that, in my opinion, the season switches to Fall mode. I've got my reasons for that, and today I will share a few. 

First, the weekend of Gravel Worlds is past. It would have been this past weekend, and I always have noticed that after Gravel Worlds the Sunrise and Sunset seem to be closer together in time. The daylight hours seem to really start to decrease right about now. I am sort of sensitive to how the daylight appears so maybe I'm an odd duck here, but this point of the year seems significant to me. I did note that last Friday was the last day the Sun was up past 8:00pm CST, and the mornings come later and later in a very noticeable way right about now. This signals Fall to my mind. 

Secondly, school starts here in Iowa for grade school, middle school, and high school students. This year, being very odd, has been one where school happened last over five months ago. So this marks a big moment in time for 2020. AND it is my son's last year in school. I sent a kid off to a 'first day of school' for the last time. (sigh) A big parenting moment, for sure, but it has nothing to do with why I think Fall starts now. I just snuck that in there! 

Then there was my Grandpa. He died this week in 2013, so THAT anniversary always kind of sticks in my mind as being a harbinger of Fall too. He was my hero when I was a child. I know.....kind of morbid, but this is my experience. Fall starts now. 

Yeah....yeah.... It's HOT and we have a heat advisory, AND it is supposed to be the hottest its been all year at 96°F today, but whatever. Fall starts when Nature says so, and I'm seeing the signs all over. Birds leaving, seasonal flowers blooming- or fading- and trees are turning colors now. The corn is ripe and drying down out in the country. Leaves are falling. Just slow down and look and you can see it for yourself. 

Now for an inventory of my wool stuff.......