September

Labor Day ushers in the months of autumn - September, October, November - and for the fall schedule to allow one last summer day is quite noble. The trees are as lush as the grass, the corn is tall, yet cool, crisp mornings arrive in early September.  Time, the pace of life, seems to slow; though the shorter days are hardly noticeable.  In mid-September, elk are bugling in high altitudes, painting the perfect fall picture.  The full harvest moon shines in September, historically allowing rural farmers additional light to bring in their crops.  Chopping a cord of two of firewood tops the priority list.  By late September the productive, intellectual roots of winter begin to displace the flamboyant attitudes of summer.

October

October reinforces a sense of scholastic romance within each of us  remember chilled evenings under the lights of a homecoming football game?  Recreationally, this is the only time in the year when all four major professional sports are played, with the World Series as the capstone.  Golf is laying-up in many areas.  Fairway shots disappear under a carpet of fallen leaves, leaving the golfer to only shrug and enjoy the birch or autumn ash trees.  Sailboats will soon be navigating dry dock, and the sportsman is hold-up in deer camp.  A trend towards outdoor autumn weddings has developed, adopting October for its natural beauty and temperate afternoons.  Some climates now experience clear days, devoid of all humidity, allowing the colorful clarity of fall to filter, unabated, into our consciousness.  Leaves are now in peak color - the brightest are produced when dry, sunny days are followed by cool, dry nights. Special events abound in October - Oktoberfest, Columbus Day, small town fall foliage festivals, daylight savings time, Halloween.