It gets cold in September. Not the kind of thing you’d probably enjoy unless you’re from here. Winds and Rains, cloudy skies, temperatures varying by 10 degrees at a time throughout the day. Cold, wet, gray. Dull as it sounds though, it’s tame, and remarkably pretty.
As the city is wrapped up in a blanket of dark clouds, the contrast of the colored lights on the darkness illuminates it like a rare gem in a spotlight. The rain is cold, sure, but it’s warm enough to be tolerable with light waterproofing, and there’s something uncharacteristically warm about it despite its more obvious nature. The winds, I’ll admit, are probably the most challenging. Wind and rain tends to be a tough combination too, but I always feel alive when I’m that close to the elements.
I walked through Discovery park yesterday, and saw the season changing before my eyes. Above me the sun beat down a mild heat, showing wear in the summer’s tough exterior. The trees weren’t yet brown, but the greenery was no longer as bright, and there were leaves everywhere. Fields of Dandelions had turned into only a handful of yellow, and a few more turned seed-farm. The blackberries were covered in dust, and produced a meager crop of fruit. A tired, old dragonfly settled down on a cracked slab of cement, unconcerned with passing pedestrians, enjoying the last moments of sunshine before the harsh cold, and probably it’s fast-approaching death. I spent a moment on the cliffs, as one does when coming here, looking out over the sound. And for a moment, I was reminded of the reasons I took up sailing. In this mild, late summer afternoon, the ocean, for such a dull, flat expanse of nothing, still has an appeal like no other.
I’ll miss the summer when it’s gone, but for now I’m happy to look forward to the fall. Home cooked meals, snow sports, holidays, mini-vacations to warmer climates. I’m ready. Happy fall everyone.