Spot: The Many Charms of Autumn

Friday, September 20, 2024

The Many Charms of Autumn

DUKE CANNON ON THE SUBTLER VIRTUES OF FALL

Much like the young George Washington we cannot tell a lie, and the truth is that fall is our favorite season. We have opined on this before, loudly singing the praises of changing leaf colors, increased flannel exposure, non-stop bonfires, and so on. But autumn is not unlike a diamond, adorned with many facets. Here are some of the deeper cuts of the season that we find worthy of annual adulation.

SLEEPING WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN

It's that magical-but-all-too-brief stretch of year when the A/C can take a seat, and we also don't need the furnace to warm our bones. We don't know about you, but a gentle breeze of cool fall air wafting in through an open window at night knocks us out faster than peak-era Mike Tyson.

THE WORLD SERIES

It's called The Fall Classic for a reason. It's when teams make magical runs and players etch their place in history (Google "Mr. October"). It's also when, thanks to the series running concurrent with football season, you can often find us nestled into our recliner, putting our trusty rabbit-eared Zenith through its paces.

LAWN AERATION AND OVERSEEDING

This may seem like a small, inconsequential thing, but we can assure you it is of the utmost importance come springtime.

FIREWOOD ACQUISITION AND ORGANIZATION

Chopping, stacking, weekly inventories—it's all very satisfying, and we haven't even gotten to the burning part yet. If you begin to tire when swinging the ax, just pretend you are one of the early settlers fighting for your very survival, and that should give you the energy you need to see that task through. Or, listen to "Eye of the Tiger" on your headphones. Whatever works.

CAMPING

Fall camping is much like summer camping, but without the oppressive humidity and relentless swarms of mosquitoes. Which leads us to…

THE BUGS DIE IN FALL

Duke Cannon paid attention in science class, so we are well aware of the role insects play in our complex ecosystem. But the fact is that bugs are pesky, and we are happier when they are not around. In fact, if we made the rules, we'd probably give them the heave-ho even earlier in the year. Say, June or thereabouts.

O-LINE EPISODE 2 IS READY FOR FILM REVIEW

Duke Cannon is putting a well-deserved spotlight on the big boys in the trenches who do the hard-but-often-unheralded work that makes the offense of a football team click. It's called O-LINE, and EPISODE TWO of this 5-part series is NOW LIVE. Featuring Notre Dame Offensive Guard Rocco Spindler, it will, in addition to other gridiron-related things, show you just how much these hard-working fellows eat.