Equinox

Tea: Christmas.

Music: U2, "Bullet the Blue Sky"

Time: Night.

The seasons shift once more, and my favorite has come around.

There is much to enjoy about other times of the year, but autumn is unsurpassed in my book: the cool, crisp days, the hint of woodsmoke in the air during a night walk, the colors of the leaves.

It's the waning of another year, the dotage of another Green Man ... but it's always such a lovely passing.

Get Off the Stage!

Tea: Blood Orange

Music: The Alarm, "Rain in the Summertime"

Time: Evening.

Were it not for the humidity, I'd swear the calendar had skipped ahead to September. It's cloudy, with the occasional drop -- and mercury in the 80s. More of the same is in the forecast for tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong. Summer has its place. It's perfect for sitting outside and watching fireflies, for example, and there's no better season for ... um ... wait, it'll come to me.

Sorry, folks. I like fall, and I can't wait for it. As far as I'm concerned, summer is like a mediocre opening act that overstays its welcome on the stage, playing encore after encore.

The hardest part is, the heat's supposed to come back later in the week -- and after this break, it's going to feel even worse.

Ah, well ... fall is coming.

Just not soon enough.

Not to Rush Things, But ...

Tea: Christmas

Music: Vince Guaraldi Trio, "The Great Pumpkin Waltz"

Time: Night.

The Christmas decorations are out in all the hobby stores already. That's jumping the gun, more than a little.

That said ... boy, could I go for some fall right now.

A little woodsmoke in the air ... some salmon on the grill ... maybe a tumbler of single malt Scotch.

And no more of this flipping heat. It's making me cranky.