Autumn is a month away (almost exactly), but this was definitely a fall day. It's not that we don't have clouds, and even fog, all summer long. Not every day, thank goodness, but often enough. And in normal years, when we are hammered with several scorching days in a row, we welcome the break that the fog gives us.

There was something in the air today, the scent of summer's end or the hint of an autumn mist. The wind that blew through my little personal canyon felt and sounded like a real storm, and here in the North Bay we just don't have summer storms. Trees aren't supposed to be bent over sideways by the wind while they're still lush with leaves.

It's been kind of an "off" summer anyway, and today was a little further off, as if to reinforce the idea that something that wasn't really here is ending a little too soon.

Even though it hasn't been much of a summer, I'm not ready to let it go. I still have hopes that we'll see hot, sunny days between now and the relentless rains coming in November. In fact, we're just getting to the time of year when we have our best weather. Best, that is, unless you prefer drab, drizzly, dreary December darkness. Some people do, I understand.