I don’t feel it as much in the morning. Warmed from sleep and wearing a fuzzy robe, I make my way to this room, this keyboard. Momentum moves me into the day.

But an hour or so later, it hits me. The air in here feels mighty chilly. I check the indoor thermostat: 66. And that’s downstairs. Upstairs is usually (strangely) cooler.

What is it about these first cool days of fall? They come on the heels of warmth and humidity. They suffer in comparison.

I try to wait until November to turn on the furnace, but today’s high will only be 58 degrees. Time for this rite of passage, even if it’s a couple weeks early. Time to combat the first chill.