The Autumn Leaves

Signs of fall:

There were kids at the bus stop this morning for the first day of school.

Some of the maples are beginning to turn. Our oak has some yellow leaves. We're hoping it is early autumn, not the oak wilt on the next block.

The sun is not up until almost 7:00 and it is dark at 8:00 pm.

Nights cool off. Last week, it was 43degrees when I went for my morning walk at the first sign of light.

The state fair is over. Now, only the vendors are packing up their wares, Carnies breaking down their rides, and the hopeful with metal detectors searching for coins and jewelry. I think the state fair is a bigger deal in Minnesota than most states. Politicians love the ready made audience. Entrepreneurial food vendors love making a year's income in 12 days. The public gets the hype from TV and newspaper and trudges over handing over the $12 gate to pay to eat their fill of french fried junk food. Tradition lives on. We skipped it this year.

It's the first day of school and I was reminded by the ads in Sunday's paper to stock up on notebooks, pencils and trapper-keepers. It has been a few years since I have done that. Our youngest is now independent and I didn't even pop for a new pair of shoes this year. I don't think he needs crayons, markers, paste or safety scissors in college. I kind of miss that since I started doing that kind of shopping in 1973. Life moves on.