It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that we officially welcomed summer. And now, just like that, summer is about gone. In the pre-dawn darkness of Sunday morning, fall will officially arrive.
The seasons will change at precisely 5:42 a.m., for those who want to know such things.
Fall is my favorite time of the year. For us outdoors enthusiasts, the new season brings with it plenty of opportunities to be outside. New hunting seasons are opening up in the days and weeks ahead, and some excellent fishing can be found in many of the local rivers.
And there may not be a more beautiful place to be than Central Washington during the early fall. It is hard to let the warm days of summer go, but the arrival of fall is inevitable. Already there have been some signs of things to come.
Shorter days. Waking up in the dark. Hustling to finish outside activities while there is still enough daylight — the same activities we were doing with daylight to spare just a month ago.
It is all setting us up for the season that is about to be. The pumpkins in our little garden are already bright orange, and the leaves on some of the trees in our small orchard have started to change color. The shorter days and cooler nights have spurred them along.
This is the time of the year when I love to take my black Lab Bailey on our morning walks. There is a fall coolness in the air just before the sun comes up. Last week I was walking in shorts and a T-shirt.
This week I am in blue jeans and a sweatshir.