At My Door The Leaves Are Falling

A cold wild wind will come.

OK, so the rest of Johnny Cash's song "I Still Miss Someone" doesn't quite fit here. But let me tell you this: It's absolutely beautiful in Arkansas.

It's what some might call "Football Weather" although those people certainly aren't watching the Razorbacks. I mean, really, beating Louisiana Monroe by one point? One...Freaking...Point. Auburn beat them 34-0. Jeez, it's going to be a long season.

But, that's not the point. The point is that it's beautiful in Arkansas this time of year, and luckily this time of year lasts for about two months.

People love spring. I understand. It's been cold. We've had a couple of snow (better described as ice) storms, and people are excited to see the first sprigs of grass peak out from the bland brown world. Home Depot fills with folks buying bright reds, whites, pinks, purples, just trying to add a little color to their home.

I'll plant a few flowers, but because of one awful allergy to pollen, I absolutely hate spring. Really, I do. I'm not excited about outdoor eating because I have to dope up on Claritin. I don't like to open the sunroof because I can see the yellow cloud of dust cover my body and then I launch into a sneezing fit.

But most of all, I can only think that summer is just around the corner. And in Arkansas, summer lasts a lifetime.

I can't stand heat. I don't like to sweat, under any circumstance, and I sweat like a pig in the summer. For months. And months. And months. Summer just goes on for ages here. It starts in May and ends somewhere near when time stands still.

My fingers swell in the heat. I feel like a rhinoceros. And no matter how few clothes I wear, I'm still hot. It's just not for me.

But, Autumn. Well, that's a different story. While most people enjoy getting out of the cold, I'll bundle up and go for a walk. Most people avoid the snow, the ice, I thrive in it.

Maybe it's because my father was a farmer which meant he didn't come home it was too dark to work, and in the summer that was well after 10 p.m.

Maybe it's because I think the wheat harvest is so amazingly beautiful with combines in the field, money coming back home after a long, hard, planting season and summer, and dust settling on everything in sight.

Maybe it's the changing leaves and brisk night air.

I can't be sure of the reason, but I love autumn, and I hope that Mother Nature isn't just teasing us with these sunny blue skies and this cool night air.

If I could live in a place that never gets above 65 degrees, I'd be so happy I just might die in fear that spring would be just around the corner.

L.