The last few nights, as I have been sitting out on the patio under the arbor with my puppy dog and an adult beverage, I have had the feeling that there was a slight touch of Fall in the air, with still almost a month to go before official Autumn. There has just been something about the breeze that left that impression. A few Canada geese flying over emphasized the feeling.
Today, when I took my bride out to the farmer's market to get some peas and pickling cucumbers, one of the ladies there took a deep breath and said, "There's a touch of Fall in the air." Ah, so somebody else, a farm girl no less, has the same feeling as I.
It's early, of course. The heat is still here, though not as bad as in most years, thanks, I guess, to global warming. But there is a freshness in the breeze that just makes one know that Fall is on the way.
Fall is a big time of the year here on the plains. The Comanche Moons will be along soon. The Comanche Indians used to launch raids from this area far into Mexico during this time of the year using the times of the bright moon as an aid. Indian summer. It was a time to be extra cautious if one lived in frontier Texas over a Century ago.
These days, Comanches have little to do with why Fall is special out here, unless your football team is Comanche, or their mascots are Indians. Football is what is special. High Schools and Colleges, but also Middle Schools and other leagues. And it's not just the teams, but the bands and the cheerleaders, and all the parents involved with their kids. Whole communities, too, in rural Texas.
It is a fabulous time and it starts this weekend. Such a happy time! My favorite.
