AUTUMN IS HERE AND IT’S THE BEST (10-2003)

This is the first full week of autumn, and once again I'm 
glad to see that it is here. It is, after all, 
my favorite season. 
 
Folks living in temperate regions, like Indiana, have an 
advantage that they get to see four 
different views of Mother Nature's personality. It's less 
boring than those who live, say, in 
Hawaii where it's 82 degrees all year. 
 
Of course, if you like temperatures in the 80s 365 days a 
year, then I guess Hawaii wouldn't be so 
bad. Personally, I like a little variety. 
 
Once upon a time, I loved winter. I still like snow and a 
little nip in the air during the Christmas 
season, but when the holidays are over, I'm read for winter 
to be over, too. It just never happens 
that way. 
 
Fall is best, from my point of view, because it not only is 
the prettiest season, it also offers mild, 
sunny days and cool, crisp nights. That's my idea of 
perfect weather. It usually doesn't rain a lot 
in the fall either. Of course, there are exceptions. This 
has been the second rainiest September on 
record and it's not over yet. 
 
I have never really been a big fan of summer. That's 
primarily because I'm not a big fan of hot 
weather. It's just too uncomfortable and stifling. This 
summer wasn't so bad, though. It had far 
fewer days in the 90s than an average summer. 
 
Although I like it when winter finally ends, spring is only 
welcome because it breaks the cold, 
damp monotony of winter. Certainly, the temperature starts 
to improve. But springtime weather 
is much too volatile. Strong storms, tornadoes, and 
damaging winds are much more common in 
the spring. 
 
Most people would probably say they enjoy the summer best. 
It's a good thing, because summer 
is the longest of the four seasons. That's right; spring is 
three of four days longer than winter. 
 
Consider that autumn doesn't begin until September 23, two 
days later than most seasons. And 
February, the shortest month by at least a couple of days, 
is in the winter. Taken together, these 
two quirks of the calendar mean that summer is a bit longer 
than winter. 
 
Scientifically, the difference in length can be explained 
by the shape of Earth's orbit around the 
sun. It's not perfectly circular, but elliptical. That 
means the earth is a little closer to the sun 
during one part of its orbit and father away at another 
part.  
 
When it's farther away, it moves slower, so it takes longer 
to get through the season. And the 
season when earth is farthest from the sun, ironically, is 
summer. 
 
When I was younger, I used to fantasize about moving north, 
to a state that had cool summers 
and cold winters. Upper Michigan came to mind.  
 
Later on I found myself thinking more and more that I would 
prefer to live somewhere with a 
milder climate during both winter and summer. Perhaps 
somewhere near the coast would be 
better. 
 
But then, I realized that anywhere I might live, there 
would always be some kind of disadvantage. 
The East Coast has its hurricanes; the North has its 
blizzards, and the West has its earthquakes. 
The Plains states have colder winters and hotter summers 
than Indiana.  
 
So, even though it's far from perfect, I've decided that 
Indiana's climate isn't so bad. At least it 
offers some magnificent fall foliage. And I'm anticipating 
a good show in the coming few weeks.