But, at least it's fall here. The leaves are starting to change to brilliant reds and oranges, Halloween decorations are popping up all around, along with haunted hayrides and historic, haunted cemetery tours (I had to get a plug in for those). It's fall in all its glory and splendor. If that means we have to deal with a little cold rain to compensate for those deep blue skies and fluffy white clouds--well that's okay with me.

In Alaska the trees turned to yellow for about a week and now to quote my son, "It looks like Indiana in November and it's not even Halloween."

In Florida there are very subtle changes but it stays warm, too warm for this Hoosier girl. And, I know what I'm talking about as I lived for six years in the area where my brother and sister-in-law live. There you have to really look hard to find changes in the foliage. It happens but it is so mild it's easy to miss.

Give me the cool nights with a touch of frost in the morning. A brisk wind blowing through the trees making a light moaning sound, the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows as the trees drop their leaves.

I don't even care that the big tree in our front yard is the last one in town to lose its leaves. In fact, they don't fall off the branches until at least two weeks after the last leaf pickup in town. That just means we have bigger piles of leaves to jump in at Thanksgiving.

The fireplace in our living room sends a soft glow into the room and the critters sometimes fight to see who gets to lay closest to it. Roadie usually wins by sheer force. But, that's okay with Sunny as he ends up in someone's lap.

Fall, despite its chilliness leaves a warmth and sense of wellbeing that no other season offers. It doesn't hurt that my daughters were born in October along with my grandson. And, my wedding anniversary falls in the middle of the month. October has always been a month of wondrous good things.

I hope my family members have a chance to bite into a caramel apple, kick their feet through a pile of leaves and savor a hot mug of cider with a cinnamon stick to stir it.

My best advice is get out and enjoy every moment for fall is fleeting and before you know it, it will look like Indiana in November.