Seasons

I woke up this morning to an unmistakable Autumn character of the sunlight. Having grown up in southern California, it was a revelation for me to move to the Northwest US many years ago as a young adult and experience the changing of the seasons. I spent a week here in the Fall to interview for a job, and it was the peak of the tree color changes; that may have been a factor in my decision to move here. Since then I have treasured the Autumn season, loving its slanting sharp sunlight and shadows, the clarity and crispness of the air without the heaviness of winter, and the overall sense of changes - of leaving the past behind and preparing to start anew. I have made many mistakes in my life, and that feeling of being able to be renewed, to start over with a relatively clean slate, has always been precious to me. It is even more sweet for me now that I am in the Autumn of my own life, when each morning is a treasured blessing, especially appreciated as I am shaving each day. At this time of year my vision feels clearer as I look in the mirror, the lather feels fresher and richer, my razor strokes are smooth, and my skin feels taut and very alive. 

So what is your favorite season, for shaving or otherwise?

Funny you mention this, John. Just yesterday I commented to my wife that the noontime shadows are noticeably longer than they were just a few short weeks ago.

For me, it would be any time when the weather isn't oppressive with heat, as it happens to be right now. While I prefer being clean shaven and it's rare that a morning goes by when I don't shave, that shave always seems like a necessary chore rather than a refreshing start to the day when the weather is too hot.

We're still in our summer season, but I notice the very noticeable darkness at a much earlier and accelerating hour.

There's absolutely no doubt that Autumn is my favorite time of the year even though it's followed by winter. Thankfully Maine winters are only 11 months long.

I cannot wait until summer is finally done here in Philadelphia...apparently the northeast has had an incredibly hot summer, recording 28 days in July of over 90 degree weather and it can get very humid here too..

bring on fall and winter!!!!!!!

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/08/...or-the-us/

We're at the sweet spot where the HVAC system has only run about 6 hours (in AC mode) in the last week or two, sometimes skipping a day entirely.
Last year we pulled the trigger on replacing our oil furnace with a geothermal system. It really tore up the lawn in my back yard (for the 100 m deep ground loop), but we had central AC for the first time (ever) this summer. The AC mode is far cheaper to run than a heat pump or a mini-split. Nice and chill all summer and the power bill only went up by $15/mo or so compared to the same hot months last year.

I see geese flying around in larger groups, but they haven't made up their minds to head south yet.

One tree up the road is all orange, but all the others are still green.

American Goldfinch males are still in their bright yellow and black summer plumage.

Our Black Walnut tree is starting to drop walnuts, but my cherry tomatoes (Sweet Million) are all still green. Keeping my fingers crossed that at least some of them will ripen before any heavy frosts.