AWAITING AUTUMN

'It smells nice' declared my son this morning as he put on his sandals.

'What smells nice?' I asked him, knowing full well it had nothing to do with the mixture of smells from the kitchen which included an attempt to remove the ghastly stench from frying Sunday night's French toast by boiling water with vinegar, lemon peel, and a cinnamon stick. 

He looked outside past the open garage door and I knew then he was referring to the crisp morning air. There was a bit of a chill and I worried the children might be cold as they walked to school. I heard no complaints but knew that a month from now the sandals and shorts will be exchanged for boots and jeans as well as jackets.

Autumn is a time for soups and baked goods, yet somehow the lentil soup I made for dinner tonight did not have quite the same appeal as it does on a cool autumn day. Even the children noticed a difference. Though the calendar informs us of autumn's arrival, the accompanying weather has yet to arrive.

The chill of this morning burned off with the sun's arrival and we enjoyed a high of 29C. Soon we will be spending more time indoors and turning on the heater instead of the air conditioning. But for now the children enjoy their time outdoors after school as we all await autumn's arrival with great eagerness.