Falling for Fall
2004-09-21, 9:02 p.m.

Oh, what a beautiful evening! We are having throw-the-windows-open temperatures, clear blue blue blue skies, and tolerable humidity. Finally. But do you know what�s best about today?

IT�S THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER.

I hate summer. Hate it hate it hate it with a passion, hate summer and the mosquitoes it rode in on, hate the heat and the stifling humidity and the BUGS. The only good things about summer are the lightning bugs�that�s fireflies to you Yankees out there.

Tomorrow, Autumn enters at 11:29am. At 11:29am I will be in my yard doing the happy dance, daring, DARING summer to try to poke it�s flaming head in for one last miserable glance. I�ll do whatever it takes for these glorious temperatures to remain�garnish my doorway with ropes of garlic, sacrifice a few chickens, make a pilgrimage to Stonehenge, whatever. Just make summer go away for a few more blessed months.

I sense a cadre of Northerners cringing at summer�s exodus, because winter is more brutal in your neck of the woods. I have the solution. Move here. We witness all four seasons in amazing Technicolor, with none of the muss and fuss. Spring, the dogwoods burst forth with the daffodils, and the world becomes awash with floral brightness. Summer, although in my opinion oppressively hot, brings the vast array of watersports, my favorite being floating down a clear, shallow mountain river on an inner tube. Fall is a riot of color, a breathtaking spectacle which must be seen to be believed. Then, there�s winter. Our winter. Cold, a bit bare but not depressing, and we have the very best snow of all. Why? It comes here and there for a morning�just enough to close school for a day, bundle up the kiddles and build snowmen and have snowball fights, and by the time you�ve changed into dry clothes and enjoyed a steaming mug of cocoa, the snow is gone. For the hardcore snow fans, you just drive a little bit to Clingman�s Dome, where the Park Service closes off the road, allowing it to be buried under several inches of snow. There people gather to ski, sled, enjoy some basic winterland tomfoolery, then get in the car and go back home to a nice dry snowless yard. I have found heaven on a stick, and its name is Tennessee.

It is hard to be patient tonight. I have apple cider in the fridge, ready to make the first spiced cider of the season. Spiced apple cider in the summertime just ain�t right. I am forcing myself to wait until tomorrow, so that I don�t misalign the planets or something. If you want to try something absolutely marvelous, make spiced apple cider. You need apple juice or cider, a lemon, an orange, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Pour the juice or cider in a pot and heat on medium low. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon and half the orange into the pot. Slice the other halves of the lemon and orange and stick whole cloves into them, then float them in the pot. Slip in a couple of cinnamon sticks. If you like, you can add other spices such as a dash of nutmeg or allspice. Heat, but don�t boil. Your kitchen will smell simply divine, and you will be hooked. All you need is a chilly night and a fireplace and your life will be complete.

If you try the cider, drop me a note and let me know. I�ll get back to you as soon as I�m done playing in the leaf pile in the front yard. Fall rules.

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