Goodbye Summer

The Harvest Moon is your gateway to fall. That crisp, fresh, colorful time of year. For folks in the Northern Hemisphere, the 2013 autumnal equinox comes on September 22, so the September 19 full moon counts as the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon. If you have not seen it be sure to step outside tonight and witness the majesty of nature (provided you have clear skies, of course).

Wow! Can you believe summer is over, this year has simply flown by. It’s early morning and already I’m noticing sunrise creeps over the horizon later and later. Siri tells me, “Sunrise was at 6:35 a.m. today.” The shorter days bring cooler weather. Soon we will don our jackets for a trip to the market. During the summer, you could enjoy sunrise at 5:42 a.m. (for those who were up). For readers of this blog my summer was an active one. An Alaska cruise vacation, bicycling, morning and evening walks, hiking, visits to the ballpark, and of course this years pièce de résistance, our High Sierra mountain adventure.

Autumn is a time to gather; to prepare for early darkness, a time to plan for the holidays, a time to re-examine your opportunities, and a time to give thanks. It is after Labor Day and the beaches once again are relatively quiet with the local surfers feeling the chill of the Pacific. Shopping areas are again free from congestion, the harbors quietly going about their business, and the freeways, well, southern California is not known for its light traffic. However, if you get out early, the morning traffic is not bad, really (thank God).

We are fortunate in California, our temperate climate allows us to continue to enjoy outdoor activities. If you haven't noticed, daylight is getting shorter, in November we “fall back” (clocks set back one hour). So, take advantage of the cool, crisp fresh air, the morning glow, golden sunsets, and the splendid colors of the changing trees.

Goodbye to summer . . .

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