The First-of-Fall Day...

Has already happened here for 2015 but there have been many others in my memory. Although born in the spring, fall has been my favorite season for as long as I can remember. I know it has the infamous sneeze weeds like rag weed, goldenrod, and various members of the sunflower family--so many of the fall flowers are yellow and allergenic but I'll accept that.

After a long hot summer and the higher humidity of the rainy season or monsoon as the "newcomers" call it (grin) most of us are looking forward to fall. It means a little more wind as the weather patterns and jet stream changes but the bright blue days and the brisk mornings and evenings are very welcome! With that in mind I have always waited eagerly for that day the first subtle signs of the season's change are detectable. I've called it the "first-of-fall" day forever. The clouds change their character and the wind has a totally different feel and flavor. It would always make me restless. When I was in school I fretted at having to be inside and counted the hours until the closing bell and the weekends. That was true when I was working, too.

Fall has many good memories of rides in the hills and mountains around Arizona's Verde Valley as we got the horses and mules in shape for the season, scouted for good hunting places and just enjoyed the weather. Yes, my dad and I went deer hunting every fall during the season for a number of years. Now it would bother me to go out with a rifle for the express purpose of shooting a deer but these days I do not need the meat. We hunted to put venison in the freezer for the coming year; it saved a lot of dollars at the grocery store and insured we would have healthy natural protein for the family's meals.

There were not many seasons from my twelfth year, when I could get a hunting license in Arizona, until the last year or two I was home that we did not get at least two and often three deer. Mom often was the last to go out after Dad and I had each bagged a deer. Dad may have shot them for her; I don't know as I was usually home taking care of Charlie (Mike) and later Alex when she went out!

The largest mule deer I ever shot.
He weighed about 180# field dressed.
I was about fifteen that fall.

Things have changed a lot since those 1955-1965 years. Before that Dad hunted alone or with friends and got a few trophy deer and elk. That was good meat too but not part of my more treasured memories.

So it is fall now, both by the calendar and by the feel. It was 97 today which is still pretty summery but the wind was dry and the few clouds that passed across the bright blue sky were light and feathery, not a slight threat of any rain from them. It was cool just after sunrise when I took my dogs walking too. That felt good. So another season turn has blessed me and I enjoy it very much! The memories of past falls coem back and I enjoy them too.