Fast forward to fall

The signs are everywhere. Fall is on its way. I don't know of a season that has a more pronounced transition than this one, leading into the months of September through December. We can find the tangible clues in every form, it seems.

Cold, crisp morning air

Dry, warm afternoons

Sudden chill when sun dips behind the mountain

Dried-out lawns with a new daily smattering of dead leaves.

Overloaded apple-tree limbs kissing the ground; can't mow under the apple tree anymore

Droopy sunflowers no longer smiling

Scurrying, visiting, sittin' back and watching, eating elephant ears, lining up, competing, beaming with pride, complaining---and a lot of other "ings" at the county fair.

Grass grubbed down to the dirt in pastures

Once beautiful plants suddenly refusing to react to watering or any other kind of nurturing, for that matter. They know their end is coming---why prolong it?

Petunias and marigolds sporting their best show of the year.

Bees and bugs pestering wherever other critters will allow it

Announcements of high school games shocking the heck out of us that it's that time again already.

Chainsaws in distant forests, sawing wood for winter.

Tomatoes turning color in clumps on the vine; what a pretty sight until too many 'maters turn at once, turning suddenly generous humans into zucchini mode. Where is that same generosity when they've picked 10,000 huckleberries?

Back-to-school sales beginning their second month.

The aforementioned leading to Wal-Mart waves, and they aren't all friendly!

Plopping in front of the tube by 8 p.m. instead of 9 and knowing the new seasons of "Dancing with the Stars," "The New Old Christine" and "The Office" are soon to come---but we must figure out who we Americans have for Talent will be first.

Talk of NFL and college pre-season rankings

Bountiful summer dinners---new potatoes, beans, corn on the cob, fresh garden salads, cold cucumbers mopped in honey mustard, barbecued hamburgers dressed with cheddar and yummy sweet onions, maiden homegrown watermelon from the manure pile before the field mice eat it.

Baseball winding down and knowing those Mariners have an uphill climb, ten games out.

Linda Hunt's call for SHS teacher geezers to show up at her house for the annual "Ha-ha, we-don't-have-to-go-to-school" hors d' oeurves and gossip party.

Today, a new sign---our son saying good bye to his colleagues at one job and coming home in hopes of finally turning the key to his classroom door and to his new career.

Yup, fall is coming and coming fast. Best season of the year, if you ask me. So, bring it on!

Happy Wednesday!