A scorched, musty smell and a low rumble at 5 a.m. told me that fall was indeed here, as the furnace kicked on for the first time in months.
It was something of a shock to the system, as always. It was only a few short days ago that I was motoring in a fog of my own sweat through 105-degree heat in Bullhead City, Ariz., for the dubious privilege of chasing bike parts and Scotch around Sin City, which was only a half-dozen degrees cooler.
I’m not sorry to bid adieu to a truly awful summer, but I’d sure like to hold onto sunny-and-70 for a stretch. Autumn is my favorite time to ride a bike, and I’m not ready to pull on my big-boy pants quite yet.
Mad Blog Media 
It’s coming here in Iowa too but not quite yet – we’ve had some days recently when it’s been wonderfully pleasant here. Odd for sure, as spring and fall here are usually measured in days rather than weeks. Stuck a new filter in the ol’ furnace just to get ready, but so far we’ve managed to avoid firing it up. Meanwhile, once it warms up a bit from the morning chill, cycling is very enjoyable with low humidity, bright sunshine and warm (but not hot) temps. Makes me wish it could last awhile, but a few more days is all we’re likely to get I’m afraid.
Same here, Larry. Fall and spring last exactly 15 minutes apiece in Colorado, and if you’re taking a shower or a nap or something, you miss it.
Had those registers in the house in grew up in. We could spy on the living below from the bedroom. Listen and watch the adults below. It was fun and kind of illicit. We loved being able to open and close the register and show off this cool feature to other kids. There was a huge grate in the entry way. We stood over it to warm up. Loved it. Dried out our boots, mittens and hats after a hard day playing in the snow or negotiating the sidewalks after school.
We use ’em as intercoms, Libby. If I hear a ghostly “Hey!” from the register I know Herself is trying to get my attention from her basement office. Beats texting. …