Autumn...

"Aki" (pronounced: ah-key), in Japanese...

...has sprung, or fallen as the case may be. Today was actually a cold day. It has been raining heavily here for the past 2 days and the wind sends it sideways. Umbrellas are pretty useless.

Anyway, the change in the weather came as a disappointing surprise because the previous week had been absolutely gorgeous. Crisp, clear sky and sunny. T-shirts and for those who could stay out of the shadows, shorts were adequate. Just a few days ago I said to Ericka, "Can you believe this is mid-November weather? If we were in Nanaimo now the wood stove would be roaring!" And yes, although there is a nice cozy place and time for all that, it is nice after 7 seasons to be in warmer (drier) climate this time of year.

Happy Autumn!