This is Fall?
Well, the dreaded, although in so many ways, beloved season is upon us. Who doesn't love a walk in the autumn woods? Especially here in Ontario where our trees turn such glorious fall colours? Although we mourn the passing of our all-too-short summers, we tend to welcome fall, still recognizing our love/hate relationship with it. It's not fall we fear, and dread the approach of, but rather winter. And hard on the heels of fall comes, of course, that dread icy-white season when we are no longer able to spend most of our days outside, but instead bury ourselves inside our homes.
So, we're into the first week of fall, and what happens? Summer, that's what. For almost a full week we've been griping about the heat, the humidity, and even, for heaven's sake, smog warnings. Some fall. In the woods we visit daily the leaves are turning, shrivelling, flying off the trees at the least excuse of a breeze. We crunch the dried leaves underfoot, marvel at the yellows, oranges, reds and bronze still up in the trees. The squirrels are everywhere, diligently gathering up seeds, nuts and whatever else can help them defray their winter travails.
Instead of wearing sweaters, jackets, long pants, we're garbed in short-sleeved (even sleeveless, gasp) shirts, shorts, and come back from our walks in the woods suffering from heat prostration. The dogs have resumed their panting throughout the day, you'd think it was the dog days of summer. At this time of year we're supposed to be in the low double-digits, instead we're sweating through 27, 28 degrees celcius and clear skies.
The gardens look wonderful, they're thriving, colour everywhere. Under these circumstances how can I pull up the annuals, begin the fall clear-out? It would be like commiting murder. I've got all these bulbs to plant, and also icicle pansies and I've no room to put them. It's downright ridiculous.
Besides which, I've already put away all of our summer clothing, and brought out garments more appropriate for fall weather. Which means I've got to scrounge around in stuff freshly washed and stored to keep from wilting completely.
Well, I guess we could try a little harder to enjoy this unprecedented (we're breaking all kinds of weather records) reprieve. After all, while Ontario is basking in hot sun, Manitoba is battling heavy wet snow, and blizzard conditions, moaning over lost electrical power, while we're still using air conditioners.
Environment Canada informs us this is the result of a temporary change in the jet stream. A Colorado low is drawing cold into the Prairie region earlier than usual, and we're getting warmer jets of air from the U.S. south.
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, October 06, 2005
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