Autumn has finally arrived!

People who have lived here longer than me tell me that it's been autumn for a while now. A few trees started turning back in September and we haven't hit 90 F in quite a while.

It started to look light autumn (to me) last week. We got down into the 50s at night, and the trees have started to drop leaves in earnest, taunting my did-not-grow-up-with-deciduous-trees husband to the Sisyphean task of raking leaves before the tree is remotely bare, or they at least have all turned.

This is pretty much what our driveway/backyard looked like before and after.

But its not really autumn to me until it starts getting chilly inside. Until I want slippers  and extra blankets and to really snuggle with Dear Husband and Penny for warmth when watching tv in the evenings.

How could anyone *not* want more cuddle time with that face?

And it finally happened. Yesterday morning it was chilly when we woke up, which for us meant the indoor temperature was less than 70 (specifically, 68). Not enough to turn the heat on yet, but enough to make me dig out a pair of socks and wear a sweatshirt. This morning, it dropped to 40 F outside, and inside it hit the magic number--64. I got to turn on the heat! It rolled out of the registers and over my feet.

Autumn has finally arrived, let the snuggling abound!