Playing Hooky

Yesterday we had our first "snow" of the season. Yep. Snow. It's still too early for it to stick to the ground, but it was definitely falling and splatting on the sidewalk, grass and leaves. The sky was swirling with millions of these snow-puffs that looked more like dryer-lint than snow.

So yeah, the seasons are definitely changing.

Today Charlie and I had a day off work for no reason at all... just to play hooky and have a day all to ourselves. I wanted to do some long-distance hiking, but we got off to a late start and I had a mid-afternoon appointment for coffee with a friend, so we settled on a quick mid-day hike at a nearby state park. Unfortunately I forgot my backpack - and my camera inside said backpack.

The dark gray clouds looked like they would burst open with a huge snowstorm at any minute. Even though the temperature was a chilly 32 degrees, with the wind it felt more like 22. The trail I chose followed along the Wisconsin River where the wind whipped across the steel-gray water, making white caps and screamed through the pine trees above. Tiny snow pellets stung my cheeks and the wind blew right through my jeans, instantly freezing my legs. Apparently my layers of turtleneck, fleece sweatshirt and fleece vest were not going to be enough today. Even my warm, snuggly hat wasn't enough to buffer the stiff winds.

Charlie had a blast despite the weather. She romped on the beach, collected sticks and raced through the woods... she even went swimming! When we arrived at the playground, I took a moment to relive my childhood on the swingset and Charlie went down the slide! It would have been even more fun if it had been warm enough to stay longer.

It may be time to bust out the serious winter gear; to start wearing extra layers and filling my pockets with kleenex. Shit got real today.  Our warm fall days have abruptly changed over. The "crisp" mornings that I've enjoyed the last few weeks are now too cold to enjoy without bundling up.

Halloween always marks the beginning of the holiday seasons and since that is just a little more than a week away, it's time to accept this reality. Time marches on... with or without us.