It's the middle of September, and while we are enjoying a nice Indian Summer here in Seattle that might help make up for the long winter that went until June this year, its clear fall is right around the corner.  I do enjoy fall -- the crisp air, the changing leaves, and the chance to wear sweaters.  It's very noticeable on the bike though right now. 

The sunlight isn't as intense, the sun goes down before 8pm now, and the air is much cooler which means wearing a jacket almost all the time on the bike.  I've even noticed that a few of the trees have already started to turn, like this one we spotted up near Sultan on a beautiful 200 mile ride yesterday.  It saddens me that the year is winding down, and it's been a very tough year on a lot of fronts.
One of my favorite movies is "Love, Vallour, Compassion", which is based on Terrence McNally's play by the same name.  There is a scene towards the end where the main character, Greggory,  is writing in his journal and he says:

"Labor Day Weekend, but already it feels like the end of summer -- perhaps the autumnal chill in the air is telling us this will be the last weekend.  The lawns are brown, the garden wilted -- soon it will be back to school."

Well the kids are back in school here, the garden is wilting, the Hostas turning brown, and it's chilly.  I have to ask how many more weekends there are and it saddens me.