Enjoying the Season

Autumn and I have always had a very tenuous relationship. As the leaves begin changing their hues to gold, orange, and deep red and the temperature starts to cool, I find I am filled with conflicted feelings. I love the 70-80 degree temperatures, it is kind of fun to start wearing a whole different wardrobe of the clothes I pushed to the back of the closet in May, and I love the combination of colors all around outside. However, the onset of Fall means that Winter is right around the corner. Cold, snow, scraping windows, coats, the confinement of socks & shoes, charcoal mornings and getting home from work after dark. And with the unpredictability of Utah weather, cold winds and snow could come any day. And that is something I have to emotionally brace myself for every year.

All of this often leaves me very ambiguous about my feelings toward Autumn. My time with him is like that fun, exciting fling with a guy you are crushing on but you know is just going to leave you in the end. You can never truly enjoy your time together because you never know which day is the day he will decide to leave you. In short, Autumn toys with my emotions.

Nevertheless, I threw caution to the wind on Saturday and I have to admit it was fun to embrace Autumn and just live in the moment. Jeff knows I love 4-wheeling and he also happens to own a 4-wheeler (along with an exploratory and adventurous spirit), and he took me to the mountains above Castle Dale. I have been amazed at all the places I have never been that are within a few short hours of where I have spent my entire life! Anyway, the colors were amazing, and viewing them on the back of a 4-wheeler with the wind blowing my hair back and the mixture of woodsy smells....it was pure heaven. Yes, I am a teensy bit enamored of 4-wheelers. OK, so it's more than a teensy bit. I can't help it.

Jeff kept track of our altitude - over 10,000 feet much of the time - and at one point tried to find the highest point. Good thing it was a beautiful day and wasn't very cold, even at that height.

After the 4-wheeling, we ate at a true "greasy spoon" restaurant on the Main Street of Castle Dale (I think it was the ONLY eating establishment), then took off for a view of the Little Grand Canyon part of the San Rafael Swell. Very cool. Another place that I had never been before. The weather was warm - Summertime warm - so I was loving it.

I will have to re-evaluate my relationship with this fleeting Season. After all, even though he leaves me every year, he also returns each year like clockwork. I should enjoy him while he's here.