A Change in the Weather

The last few weeks have seen the temperatures drop considerably here in NE Kansas.  It's been fantastic having all the windows in the house open throughout the day (and night!) and I'm looking forward to having a very welcome drop in our electricity bill.  But, the change in weather seems to have occurred much earlier than I'm used to since moving here.  If you ask anyone that's lived here long, August is typically the most miserable month with extreme heat amplified by high humidity.  This year, I think August missed the memo and July recieved it instead.  July was horribly hot and dry, yet August was quite pleasant and September has seemed much cooler than years past.  Yes, Autumn is quickly approaching (officially, 1 more week) and I'm loving it.

Autumn has a way of triggering my memories more than any other season.  I'm not completely certain why that is, but I think some of it is because Autumn seems to bring about the year's highest amount of activity.  There just always seems to be more going on this time of year - school, harvesting, sports, hunting, holidays approaching.  We grow up learning that Summer = Vacation and it's no different now, even for those of us who no longer get those 3 Summer months off.  Working during the Summer often has a more relaxed feel to it because it's easy to get fixated on actually taking time off from work.  Haven't we all heard the line, "I'm already in 'vacation' mode," from someone days before their actual vacation begins?  But, once the Dog Days of Summer have come and gone, it's time to hunker down, tighten up the belts, ramp up the activity, and begin the push to get things completed by the end of the year and prepare for Winter.

The action doesn't stop with us as nature also takes a cue from the changing weather - ducks and geese are beginning to move, deer are hitting the rut, turkeys are gathering in large rafters, leaves are beginning to turn, wild sunflowers are popping up everywhere!  It's these events that get me excited as a photographer and make me anxious to get out in the field.  Unfortunately, I haven't spent much time photographing the Fall season the last couple years.  Maybe it has something to do with grad school, children, and a full-time job?  But, although I know this season is gearing up to be a hectic one, I'm going to take every possible chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors with my camera.  With that in mind, I sat last night and found these photos from the past couple of years that fit my mood.

Enjoy!