Fall's Coming On

For many, many years, summer was my favorite season.  My fondness was born of childhood memories of all-day swimming, hanging out with friends, tree house sleepovers, and all the dangerous things that boys do in the name of fun that make you cringe as a parent.  And since school was out, I learned to associate the season with freedom and leisure.  My love for summer lasted well into adulthood, beyond it's contribution of pure joy to my life.  But finally after almost two dozen hot, steamy summers in Austin, it dawned on me -- summer wasn't really all that.  All the things that summer enabled as a kid were no longer available, applicable, or interesting to me.  And I realized that it had become a season of oppressive heat, humidity, soaring electric bills and scorching car seats.  Around this time I was also riding a motorcycle, and the summer heat was a temptation to forgo wearing proper riding clothes, so I guess the summer being a time of foolish, dangerous behavior wasn't totally a boyhood thing. Around that time I realized that, being in Austin, fall is where it's at baby.  Fall in Texas is a nice, temperate season, with mostly sunny warm days, and cool evenings when you can wear something other than shorts and a T-shirt and still be comfortable.  And barring a couple of outlier cold days, it could last well into December, so it's a nice long, enjoyable season too.  Perfect for sports, road trips, hiking, camping, and motorcycle riding (in full regalia).  It's the ideal season in Texas in my opinion.