Shortly after dinner last night, the northern hemisphere shifted from summer to fall. It has been raining here for three days, so for once the weather fits the season. The world is still green but it has tilted.

I feel a certain betrayal acknowledging this. Shouldn’t I hold summer close as long as I can? Perhaps. But I also believe in knowing when to exit, when to change, when to say “enough.” And by the end of last week, with temps once again edging up to 90 and this summer’s trademark high humidity, it was time.

Don’t get me wrong. I know what fall means, the cold, dark days. But I also love lamplit afternoons, permission to stay inside and write. I appreciate seasonal change, what it provides the restless soul. Today is the first full day of autumn. I plan to embrace it.