The rains have come (Originally published on September 1, 2006)

It's as plain as the rain on my face... summer has left Philadelphia. She may have just gone on vacation. She usually swings back through in mid-September but the jackets, sweatshirts, umbrellas, and raincoats mark her absence. There are still roughly 22 days before the sun is no longer aligned with our hemisphere, but seasons aren't about calendar dates to me. There about interactions.

I don't really have a favorite season. I like them all but this summer seemed too short. It was mild. It was beautiful. But it seems like only yesterday we were saying goodbye to the rains of spring.

But nature works in cycles and an end is just another view of a beginning. Autumn in Philadelphia is prime time. Longer nights. No need for air conditioning or heat. Even on a rainy cold night, the bars, restaurants, and clubs will be packed.

There is still a third of 2006 to go. Based on the first 8 months, it's going to be a grand time.