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The first day of fall brought us nearly 90 degree temps and finished off the night with thunderstorms and lots of humidity. Not quite what I expected as a transition of the end of the summer especially since I've already said goodbye to the Heat Miser. I threw on my leather and headed out this morning and by the time I got to work I was ready to peel that jacket off and throw on some shorts. I've been preparing myself for cool breezes and dodging falling leaves, hot apple cider and chilly Autumn nights. Today I cranked up the AC and thought about a couple of tall cold ones! I've pulled out more cold weather gear and been mentally preparing myself to brave the threat of frozen snot! But noooooooooo... Instead I was staying inside out of the hot humid air looking at the sky waiting for the first clap of thunder and hopes that a good storm would cool us all down. What the heck man, I said goodbye to summer and the Heat Miser throws me for a loop. It's the first day of Autumn dammit and I had expectations! Winter cold, Spring warm, Summer hot, Autumn COOL!
Simply put, things are not always as they appear to be...
If we have such a tight hold on the way we expect things to be they often come with great disappointment. It's very difficult to let go of ideas we may have about our friends and family or certain situations in life, let alone the weather. Mother Nature is certainly a great force that leaves us no choice but to accept, so we learn to adapt and live with it's ever changing seasons and the surprises that come along with it. We have to be open to the idea that things may not go the way we thought and that it might be a good idea to come prepared for a storm even on the first day of Autumn.
If you've ever been caught in a rainstorm on a motorcycle you know it can be quite painful. If you choose to keep going it's best to keep your head up and the wheel straight and keep looking forward. If you look back the bike has the tendency to go in the direction your looking and there is a good chance your going to drive off the road. So even if the ride's a little painful just keep looking forward and know that the storm must always come to and end.

"For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them."
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Bonjour  Autumn...Bienvenue!
Jim