I Guess It’s Fall (or Autumn)

I woke this morning a little later than I ought to have–though not nearly as late as I would have if I didn’t have to go to work (I’m not a morning person). Yet when I roused myself to consciousness, I wondered if perhaps my clock was wrong. Did I accidentally change the hour from seven to six, five, or four when I was subconsciously turning off the alarm? No, that hour digit said seven. But it was still dark. This feeling of discombobulatedness (I’m ignoring the squiggly red line–that’s a good word!) continued in the shower. The world beyond the bathroom window seemed grey, more like a December morning than an October morning. Did the clocks change? Let’s see… spring forward, fall back (sorry my UK readers, “autumn back” doesn’t work as well), so it would be darker now. But Daylight Saving (note: that’s NOT plural or possessive–despite what my calendar says) doesn’t end until next month.

Outside it was a little cooler than usual, the ground was wet from last night’s rain, and there were dark clouds filling the sky as if a Death Eater attack was imminent. That explained the lack of morning sunlight. But more than that, it felt like a real fall morning–actually, it reminded me of autumn back in England. The kind of Septembers I remember, with grey skies, puddles on the ground, red and golden leaves, and the smell of pine. And these are fond memories. I actually like this time of year, especially after months of 90 degree (F) temperatures. Some of my best memories of England are around this time: playing with my friends in the playground at the primary school I went to, going into town after school to buy records when I was a teenager. When I recall these times, rain, coats, and dark skies almost always figure into the picture somehow. Not long from now, the nights will be drawing in. Over here, that means it’ll be getting dark by about 7:30. In England, it means it’ll be getting dark around 4:30/5:00. Some find that depressing. It makes me smile.