Falling

Like many people on Colorado's western slope, the coming of fall brings a renewed energy and sense of excitement. The heat of summer begins to give way to warm, yet crisp, air that teases one's sense of adventure.

Gone are the daily thunderstorms, replaced with long stretches of high pressure and cloudless skies. Days are long enough  to squeeze multiple sports, yet short enough to see the stars (or the Super-Bloody-Eclipse) without missing bedtime.

 Higher environments provide frost and numb fingers in the morning and sun-burned, t-shirt lines during the day.

 Desert cracks wait for taped hands and cams.

Afternoon bike rides include laughing while herding a gobbling gaggle of turkeys down singletrack or a slight unease felt while watching a spooked bear's rump crash through the brush.

 Mountainsides, gold with Aspens never fail to stir up feelings of wonder. Nor can one avoid dodging leaf peepers, probably from Texas, because a local surely wouldn't have the audacity to block traffic for a photo's sake...

 Focusing on work is difficult; planning a season's worth of trips or deciding what sort of ice cream to make for the last few backyard get-togethers occupy my mind.

 Fall always passes to quickly, don't forget to enjoy it.