I'm feelin' restless

I don't know what it is about the transition of summer to fall that makes me feel a little jittery, a little unsettled. Is it the cool air that suddenly bites at you during your morning runs, when just days ago the breeze in your face reminded you of a warm beach? Is it the shift in styles, food, or activities? Darker clothing and sweater dresses; zucchini bread and apple pie; less lounging by the lake and more end-of-season golfing? Is it that I was trained for years and years that fall meant school which meant the end of fun and laziness?

Don't get me wrong: I LOVE sweater dresses and zucchini bread. I love to watch the leaves change from green to yellow and orange and red, the gourds and squash and fall vegetables show up in endlessly vibrant colors, and the kids getting ready to go back to school. At least I don't have to go back to school anymore, I suppose.

What it really is, I think, is that fall is a reminder of the cold, long winters ahead. They're dark. And snowy. I know I'll have to go to a tanning booth to get my "sunshine" for the week. My fingers will be cold at the office, and my feet will be cold driving home. My nose will be perma-red for about five months. But every winter, after dreading and whining and complaining my way through fall, I realize winter isn't so bad, because there's this:

and this:

and this:

While those images don't necessarily calm me to the point where I can't wait for that long dark winter, at least they're a reminder that every season has its wonders and that I have much to look forward to as the months progress.

How do you feel about summer ending?