I’m certain of it.

One of the things I look forward to each year is the brilliant color of the ginkgo trees in town in the Fall. As the weather has gotten cooler, the leaves were just starting to turn, and most of the leaves were still green.

This morning, as I walked up to one of my favorites, I looked up and almost all of the leaves had dropped. The ground was just carpeted with them, like they had all just fallen straight down. Someone I know was sweeping leaves off the sidewalk for people to walk on, and without thinking, I blurted out the question, “What have you done to my tree?” I had a smile on my face because, well, of course, I knew he hadn’t been responsible for the leaves falling. I was really looking forward to seeing that tree in its full glory, though.

Most of the leaves from the trees in my yard turned overnight and started falling as well. It’s that time of year. Time for leaves to fall, raccoons and deer are being drawn to car bumpers, and time for everything natural in my part of the world to turn some sort of earthy shade of brown.

I’ll get used to it, I suppose. The weather outside is crisp and cool. I do like it this way. My wife and daughters are complaining that they are too cold these days. The heater is on in the house, and they are still wearing sweaters and sweatshirts inside, while I’m in jeans and a t-shirt. The heat vent under my bed is making me sweat every night, and my wife tells me she is considering adding a blanket to the bed.

I can’t even tell how cold it is outside because everyone in my house is using a different gauge to figure it out. One is using the “feels like” temperature - whatever that is - that comes from a phone app. It’s either that cold outside or it isn’t. This “feels like” thing is for the birds. Another is using the temperature that Alexa tells her it is at that minute. We live somewhere just left of nowhere, and I am sure that Alexa isn’t checking the temperature here with any frequency. My youngest daughter isn't consistent with her sources, and you never can tell what the temperature is from asking her.

I get even though. If I get asked, I just lie and make up a number and describe the weather I want it to be. It’s funny, with all the technology at our fingertips, the most reliable thermometer is the one that hangs out on the fence or on the porch. Our family doesn’t have one … but it would be nice to point to one and be able to argue about it once in a while.

Since I don’t have a thermometer, I have to go and start the car to find out how cold it really is outside.