Yesterday, Minnesota Public Radio did a short bit on on the upside of pessimism, which, if you have no time to listen right now, can be summed up by the old saying, “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”

So I can’t fault my friend’s outlook on autumn. The truth is, we all know it can’t last; the beauty of the season is its brilliant downward spiral toward the long sleep of winter.

On the other hand, I would give up summer altogether for six months of October. Six month of frosty mornings, cool afternoons, and colorful evenings — ideally followed by six weeks of fluffy snow from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, and the balance, greening spring.

My list of fall downers parallels Jacqui’s. I see any number of uppers; I could go all day: Back to school, regular bedtimes, lack of bugs … but these are more accurately attributed to the end of summer than the start of fall. Let’s see; why autumn:*

– It’s well-worn college sweatshirt weather.

– It’s pumpkin-carving season.

– It’s bonfire weather.

– It’s hunting-camp season.**

– It’s wool and leather weather.

– It’s migration season.

– It’s crock-pot weather.

– It’s leaf season.

– It’s hot cider weather.

– It’s harvest season.

* * * * *

*Many of these autumn highlights aren’t exclusive to fall, but, I would argue, are certainly enhanced by it.

**It’s just plain hunting season, too — but the camp experience is key to me. Some of my best hunting trips involved never taking a shot.