Fall has arrived in The Golden Triangle.
We think.
Summers here tend to linger, after all.
Like a guest who has overstayed his welcome, around this time of year Summer has one foot out the door only to discover that he has forgotten something and goes back in the house. Next thing you know, Summer has plopped down on the sofa, remote in hand, aimlessly flipping channels as you stand by the doorway, dropping hints too subtle to capture his attention.
But the weather this week gives us confidence that summer’s days are numbered, if not passed.
Although the week ahead shows that the high temperatures will return to the mid-80s, the humidity will remain low. The crisp, cool evenings and early mornings are here to stay.
This is the have-your-morning-coffee-on-the-porch weather many of us have been looking forward to, and we encourage everyone to take full advantage of it.
We should not have to remind you that falls arrive late here and are often accompanied by the seasonal rains that limit outdoor activity. Picture-perfect fall days like the ones we have enjoyed this week are limited, which means you should take every opportunity to get outside for an hour — maybe even a few hours — for no other purpose than to enjoy the beauty and the lovely weather.
It’s the time of year when it’s perfectly OK — perhaps even preferable — to be outside and idle.
That window is a narrow one. Soon, you’ll have to turn your attention to the leaves that begin to pile up in the yard and your outdoor hours will find you with a rake in your hand.
But not today. Not next week, even.
No, now is the time for outdoor leisure.
Take a walk, reacquaint yourself with your neighborhood, that place you’ve been seeing mainly through the car window during the long, inhospitable days of summer,
It’s the perfect time to note and embrace the subtle change in the season. Drink it in, just for the beauty of it.
We also suggest you take along a plastic bag on your walks. The colors of fall you encounter along your way should not include food wrappers, aluminum cans or other roadside debris. Picking up the litter you find on your walk is only a minor encroachment on your tranquil journey, and you’ll be working with Mother Nature to make the beautiful fall days even more enjoyable for everyone.
So get out there and do next-to-nothing. Let fall wash over you, soothing both body and soul.
You’ve earned it.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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