Today is October 28th. It is a gorgeous fall day. The sky is pure blue, the air is clear and crisp, and the golden colors of the season are blazing. Today I went for a walk and the children went for a bike ride with Dad. Neighbor’s porches are alight with orange pumpkins and golden sunshine is streaming through the trees. As glorious as today is, I cannot completely enjoy it because it is tinged with danger.
Every fall in Wisconsin we are treated to lovely days like today. But, in this season the weather can turn quickly and we will be plunged into winter that lasts until April. Each morning I look at the weather report and review the forecast. I know that the forecast can be unreliable but I peek ahead so I won’t be surprised when the weather really does turn. The amazing days of fall are tinged with the looming risk of winter and so I live on the edge in the danger zone.
The danger of fall also brings ambivalence and indecision. When I fold laundry, my baskets were filled with and unruly combination of short sleeved shirts tossed like a salad with fleece, wool socks and long pants and shirts. A couple of weeks ago we had a morning that was colder than it has been since last May. We had a mad scramble to find wool socks, jackets and gloves that were put away last spring. By the afternoon jackets and sweaters had been discarded and we were all back to shirtsleeves until sunset. Since then we have continued to vacillate back and forth between being cozy and sitting like chameleons with our skin exposed to the afternoon sun.
Halloween is only three days away and the forecast is calling for rain mixed with snow. A cold and wet evening would make it scarier than usual as pathetic, damp, cold children with face paint dripping down their cheeks would darken our door.
Perhaps it is because the season feels dangerous that each lovely day must be appreciated and savored. And, perhaps fall is my favorite season because I actually enjoy the danger. So, I salute the season and say, bring it on baby, I have found my snow boots already!!