The air outside is crisp and cool. The wind carries the smell of leaves-- sometimes wet and musty, sometimes burning. The spring showers are over; the winter snows not yet come. The puffy white clouds scattered about the sky merely serve as a source of inspiration for pleasant daydreams.

The leaves that are still clinging to the trees turn a bright yellowish green as they begin to die, but soon they brighten into a hundred shades of orange, red, and gold. One by one they let go of their branches and begin a slow, tumbling dance towards the ground. The only music to accompany their antics is that of the wind's merry laughter.

People rake the fallen leaves into large piles in their lawns, then sigh and shake their heads in tolerant amusement as children proceed to jump into and destroy those same neat stacks. At the mischievous little troublemakers leap back up and run away, giggling madly, they crush more leaves under their feet and fill the air with soft, dry crunching noises. The children sit on their front porches, watching little puffs of condensation form in front of their mouths like dragons' breath. Mothers and older sisters emerge from their homes and hand out cups of steaming hot cocoa.

Squirrels scamper around outside, gathering more and more food to ensure their hordes are large enough to last them the winter. Joggers enjoy the opportunity to make a few last rounds of their neighborhoods in moderate warmth. Birds fly south, heading towards tropical destinations and warm thermals to ride. Everyone wants to enjoy the pleasant weather before winter's icy wind blasts onto the scene and chills all of nature's creatures to the bone.