The wind is picking up and has lost it's warmth. Trees begin to dance and sway as they change colour from green to red, orange, and yellow. Garden ornaments are taken in for the season and replaced with rakes to pile high the multi-coloured leaves of Autumn. This is honestly my favorite time of year.
Back at home in the Okanagan, it's apple season. You can walk orchard side and smell the aroma of ripened apples waiting for it to be time for the pickers to make their way through. These apples will soon be apple pies and tarts and other delicious treats, even if it stays in it's original form of "just an apple".
School is back in session and most are back to their routines. Call me NuTs, but I miss school. Maybe not elementary and definitely not high school, but I do miss formal "book learnin'" and college. This time, twelve years ago(1998), I was grade 12 student at Kalamalka Secondary School partaking in the making of Grad Apple pies. The high school is situated across the street from an orchard - not to imply that we stole the apples, they were legitimately donated or bought - and the making of the pies were for a fund raiser to go towards our grad fees which included the rental of grad gowns and hall, dinner, and everything else that a grad ceremony entails.
Back in high school, a group of girlfriends and I would go watch the high school football team play their games. We weren't hardcore enough, or close enough friends with any of the players, to go to practices or the occasional out of town games. We were just bored enough to enjoy the local games, including the games played at other Vernon high schools. (I have a cousin who is the same age going to a "rival" school, so it was cool to hook up and watch the occasional game, even if it was from opposing side lines.) To be honest, even though we seemed to finish last, these were the only football games I've enjoyed. I've lived in Edmonton for about 7, almost 7 and a half, years now and have gone to one Eskimos game in that whole time.......... And that was within the first 6 months of living here and because I won a couple've free tickets from work, otherwise that record would have a goose egg instead've a 1. (With the Eskimo's train wreck of a record this year - what is it? 3 and 7 or something? - and constantly getting SPANKED score wise who could blame me? {Embarrassing numbers like 55 - 3. Sick, if you're gonna play like that, why even bother showing up??}) But I've gotta be honest, even if the Eskimos won the Grey Cup every season since I moved here, I wouldn't give any more of a crap then I do now. (I'd say my Give-A-Crap-O-Meter is at about -4. I just don't care, sorry to all you fans.) Much to the chagrin of my roommate who LOVES him some NFL (more specifically Eli Manning and the NY Giants.) I won't watch football on the TV either. Luckily this season we have two TVs hooked up to the cable.... I am no longer tortured by Sunday and Monday Night Football.
Anyhow, I digress. Football aside, I love this time of year. I don't know if it's because my year is winding down and a new one is about to start or what the story is. Your year is ending you say? You got it, my clock is about to reset. I was born September 21st, some calendars have that date as the last day of Summer and others have it as the Autumn Solstice, or the first day of Autumn. Either way you cut it, every year around this time I get all reflective and think about the year that has come and gone. I also think about the things that I haven't accomplished the year past and what I would like to accomplish the following year. I'll be entering into my last year as a 20-something... {After next Tuesday Dad, it'll be OK for you to tell me I'm pushing 30! Not a second before that though!!! =0-) }
So as the summer winds down into Fall, it's not always about me at all! Get outside while you can. No winter boots or scarves etc are required just yet, though Mother Nature is leaning towards it. As she does, she's putting on quite the show for you. Enjoy it! =0)
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