School Starts

Yes, it's that time of year again--time for school books and teacher's dirty looks; homework and more work; darker nights and shorter days.  But also time for hot chocolate and a nice warm fire; for football and chili and popcorn; for raking leaves into big piles in the yard; for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and then Christmas.  Although I prefer summer to any other time of year, fall has its perks.  Winter, not so much, unless you count that fact that February is short and March usually brings a few more blue skies.  January pretty much sucks as a month.  Coming indoors for 6 months--sleeping more, eating more--what are we in the Pacific Northwest but a bunch of big ole bears?