Flashes of Fall

Growing up on Long Island, I loved the Fall. My father would rake all the leaves and pile them in the street. All the kids in the neighborhood would jump in the leaves. Then dad would light them to burn. I can still remember their smell and letting the red-hot heat warm me up while the weather began to change from hot to cooler. Here in the Northwest, there are still the red maples that I love and locusts that drop their yellow leaves. Sometimes summer still remains in September which is a special treat. Of course, Fall means Halloween. I love Halloween! It was a big deal when I was a kid, and it is a big deal in Olympia especially in the South Capitol Neighborhood where I used to live. Hundreds of costumed kids and their parents gather up friends and candy. Halloween is always a great break from the real world when we can carve pumpkins and be frightened by ugly witches.