The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 

I believe fall is the 'most wonderful time' of the year. Summer's too hot, winter's too long and spring's too fast. If Goldilocks were writing this column – and who says she's not my alter ego? - I believe she would express the same sentiments. She might make a crack about chairs and beds, but that has nothing to do with today's topic.

Fall is just right, even if it is a little too short. The panoply of changing leaves and the crisp evening air are only two of the reasons why I love this season. The fact that there are no more gardens to weed and no more grass to cut are, of course, contributing factors.

I am not a farmer, but it's around this time that the harvest is in, and no doubt that is a great feeling. Even in my profession, there is a certain freshness with a new school year, something that lasts (unfortunately) until about Thanksgiving weekend. And most sports teams have perfect records, mainly because most sports teams haven't started playing yet.

Even the Calgary Flames look good in the early fall.

I don't know if fall is a season of beginnings or endings. In other words, is it the final days of summer, or the preamble to winter? It has its own colour (orange), but it doesn't always have its own identity. Just last week we were uncovering ourselves because of the sweltering heat, but this week we are covering our tomatoes because of the frost. I wish it would make up its mind once and for all.

Fall is the time of year when baseball and football are winding down – unless, of course, you are the Blue Jays, then it would be mid-summer. And it is the beginning of hockey and basketball, or in the case of the NHL, one long pre-season to see who wins the Stanley Cup in June.

The icon for fall would have to be the pumpkin, but, to quote Richard Nixon, I have nothing more to say (seeing that I said it all last week). Fall could be described as the time between the dust ball and the snowflake, the yellow and the white, the school holiday that's too long and the one that's too short.

This year, in particular, fall has crept up quickly and quietly, and has presented itself to us in early September – instead of waiting until early October. I have always associated October, and October alone, as the official month of fall. But I fear that there will be very little of fall even by the middle of October. By November 1^st, if we're lucky or not, winter could have set in. With the bizarre weather patterns we've been having over the past few years, who knows for sure?

But then again, we could ask Al Gore or Michael Moore: They seem to have answers to questions many of us aren't asking.

Fall is also probably the best time to go on holidays. Circumstances beyond my control forbid me to take a vacation during early October, but I would like that to change sometime. Campground rates tend to be lower, gasoline is cheaper, and crowds are sparse. While a dip in the lake is out of the question, unless you're a kid and you don't know any better, a walk in the woods would be in order. Just make sure you wear noisy clothes, so an almost-hibernating and hungry bear doesn't mistake you for his midnight munchies..

No dust on the road and no snow on the ground, no bugs on the screen and no ice on the windows – that's what I like about fall. Like a good movie or a great novel, it's always too short. But like a good movie or a great novel, there is always a sequel. It's called next year and I am looking forward to it already.

Until then, however, I'll stay home, curl up, and enjoy this version.