It’s subtle, but for about the past week I’ve been aware of that infinitesimal yet distinct shift that announces the imminent arrival of autumn.
It’s the slightly cooler air, the slightly shorter days, the slight difference in the angle and intensity of the sunshine.
And I find myself remembering the back-to-school excitement of elementary and junior high school. Those were the days when we got new school clothes — practical and warm outfits made of wool, which were brutal to wear when the usual California heatwave arrived in early to mid-September.
I loved school, so I was usually ready for summer to end. I loved the colors of the foliage and the windy days of fall.
I love all these things still, although nowadays I get anxious about increased wildfire risk when the fall weather gets windy.
