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 sweatshirt. Now almost nine years old, Bailey, from experience I think, knows the seasonal change is coming, too. Or, maybe she smells something in the air that triggers it.
Of course, it helps I have been taking her out and letting her “hunt” in some of the fallow fields in the Lower Valley. And with each pheasant or quail she flushes, it gets her more excited for when the pop of a shotgun might get her something to retrieve, three weeks from now. Until then, the now cooler mornings make it so she can run without overheating during these dress rehearsals, getting her in shape for the real thing.
Sure, we will still have some warm days ahead. We always do. Maybe even some days in the 80s.
I remember some past hunts during mid-October when we were all wearing short sleeves. But even on those warm days, the nights will be cool and there is always a chance for early morning frost. Fall's arrival brings with it many fond memories, from the days of hunting birds with my dad back in the 1960’s, to hunting with my own sons over the years.
And I think back to some great trips fishing for fall chinook salmon with my buddies on the Columbia River, and spending some glorious fall afternoons fishing for trout on the Yakima and Naches Rivers. Watching Bailey working through the fields the past few mornings reminds me of the many dogs that have been part of our family over the years. They, too, spent the lazy days of summer sleeping on the porch, or under a big willow tree in our backyard, waiting for fall to arrive.
Then, one day, it was time to go to work. To a one, the dogs came to life when the hunting boots came out of the closet. There was always plenty of whining and jumping and tail-wagging caused by knowing they were going to get to chase birds again.
Fall's arrival meant finally, after a nine-month vacation, it was time to go do what they loved to do most in this life. Bailey is a bit more subdued than some of her predecessors, but make no mistake, if I am even thinking about going hunting, she seems to know, and will be standing next to the truck, ready to jump in. Fall brings with it the perfect weather to enjoy a day in the field or on the water.
Normally it is not too hot, or too cold. And it is usually sunny. At least around here it is.
Yes, the days are shorter, but there is nothing we can do about that. Fewer hours of daylight are a small price to pay for the opportunities the new season brings. Maybe this Sunday is just another day on the calendar.
Another Sunday to watch football or to get some yardwork done. It is also the autumnal equinox. Fall arrives about an hour before sunrise on Sunday.
And with its arrival comes all kinds of fun things to do outdoors..
