Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario
December 2009



© Christine Mastroianni, all rights reserved



Alright, all you summer-loving people. You've had your fun. You've had all kinds of time to indulge in your delightfully lazy book-reading marathons as you become a long, late afternoon shadow on your freshly cut back yard lawn..... your endless summer nights consuming your sugar laden daiquiris and your minty mojitos and your lime infused Coronas on your cottage deck as the mosquitos drool over your exposed skin and the spiders come out to play..... your long, gratifying weekend getaways on your Harleys and your Hondas buzzing up and down the quiet streets letting everyone know that you're in town.....

Okay, so perhaps I may be speaking a little harshly! I am really not the type of person to display cynicism and even less the type of person to discourage activities that make people smile and contribute to the masses in a content and satisfied manner. But as of this week, the book of seasons has once again turned a page and it's now Autumn!!

Now I'm not saying it's a bad thing to be reduced to a molten heap of uselessness as the air licks your skin and the sun cooks your body... but it's just not for everybody!! For example, I am the person emphatically flipping my calendar to the -embers with unbridled exuberance as I breathlessly wait for the refreshing waves of cooler air to wash over me and fill my lungs and my spirit with energy.

Of course, where I am, in Southern Ontario, I am still holding my breath for that and it's becoming a little trying to continue doing so. It still feels like summer. Granted, it's a more comforable summer, but its time has come. Enough is enough. I see all these comments from my Facebook friends who still reside past the eastern point of the weathervane who get to announce the signs of the arrival of fall, mostly with acceptance: the multi-hued leaves that crunch underfoot, the chilly morning air that induces wakefulness and allows you to don that great fall jacket, adding another element to the day's ensemble, and yes, even the promise of colder days as winter awaits its cue to emerge onto the stage. That's right, people, I said it: winter is just around the corner!!  Fresh crystal clean air with vibrantly blue, clear skies... rich hot cocoa and fragrant wood fireplaces, cozy blankets and textured sweaters, thick spicy soup simmering on the stove.... exhilerating skiing excursions and rejuvenating afternoon jaunts as the snow compresses underfoot and thin sheets of ice hover over puddles and ponds just waiting to be stepped on with a big satisfying crunch!!!

I am also not the type of person to wish away any of my days, but I AM excited to be on the verge of the full blown arrival of my favourite time of year! And I'm not afraid to proclaim it!!!!