Fall has arrived.

Today when I walked outside the door, I was suddenly bowled over by the chilly fall weather. This is what I've been waiting for. The feeling that your nose will freeze if you don't have a scarf.

I remember when my parents would hustle us out of bed early in the morning when it was still dark, to go out to a vacant lot and stargaze. This was a somewhat regular occurrence, and it happened most often when there was a meteor shower or something of that sort. We would drive until we were at least out of our neighborhood, (since it is very hilly, and you aren't able to see the sunrise over the hills), but most of the time we would lay on the concrete behind our church, slightly cushioned by a few quilts, but still able to feel the frosty ground, and gaze. We would mostly gaze at the stars, but occasionally we would gaze at the surrounding foliage and sometimes at each other.

Now my sisters are in college, and even though they live with us, I'm the only one who's at home. Or at least that's how it seems to me. We don't have the chilly morning of stargazing that is warmed by a biscuit and coffee at the end. Now I'm here watching them drive off to school and wishing that we were all in the same car, (slightly younger), driving off the watch the stars dazzle us once again.

As you can probably see, I'm quite taken by fall and winter. Not that summer and spring aren't lovely, but I feel like I have more purpose when its cold. Which seems quite fickle. Oh well.

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