Autumn has descended on the local land with a pronounced pfffft. That is, the season of autumn is really no different from the season of summer. It is still hot, and unseasonably humid. The front lawn still needs cutting every week and irrigating regularly. Its true that the days are getting shorter but they are sill filled with people doing summer things in Austin. Things such as water boarding on the Colorado River, running and walking along the trail system in numbers that nearly require traffic signals, walking about singly and in bunches within the parks, playing all manner of sports, having picnics, clogging the city streets….you get the picture.
Don’t get me wrong. I like summer. Its my third favorite season. But I am ready for it to be over this year. It seems to have dragged on too long. Its like that relative who comes over for lunch and is still around long after dinner. Begone already!
Actually, this past summer in Austin was relatively mild. We had our triple digit temperature days, but not many. For some reason the high pressure system that usually parks itself over Texas went on vacation mid August and we had cooler than normal temperatures (this means the low 90’s) and rain. A ton of rain. Buckets of rain. We got a month’s worth of rain in two days. Very damp. You could almost see the mold growing on things. No doubt all that rain accounts for the humidity now in September.
We had a lot of rain during the spring as well, ending the years long drought that had plagued central Texas. The highland lakes have been full all summer long making for great boating, fishing and other aquatic endeavors. We know people who talk about a boat that they used to own. That’s the closest we got to using the lakes this year.
So fall has officially arrived. Memorial day has come and gone and the wearing of white is no longer de rigueur. This is the time of year when things are supposed to slow down a bit, nature prepares for its long winter nap by displaying colorful leaves, having squirrels scamper around looking for food to store, mammals growing out their fur coats, etc. People get those sweaters and heavy coats out of storage and begin looking around for woolen socks. Not here in Texas. We still have folks traipsing around in shorts and tee shirts. Tourists are still flocking to see the bats and musicians. Locals complain about the traffic and then go out to drive around in it. Actually, that last thing happens all year long.
So, autumn is here…kinda. The stores are full of Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas stuff already. Eee gads!. The one or two maple trees will be changing color soon, School is back in session. The fall music festivals are just around the corner. There is an ever so slight nip in the air – at least in my air conditioned home, and its a great time to be alive. The alternative is undesirable.