Dear God,

You probably don’t hear this enough about this particular topic, but I want to take a moment to thank you for autumn.

Yep, it’s pretty nice in this part of the country. You didn’t bless the Texas Panhandle with a lot of scenic splendor (although Palo Duro Canyon is pretty good on the eyes), but you did give us that great big sky and those resplendent sunrises and sunsets.

You also gave us seasons, all four of ’em.

Autumn arrived a few days ago, according to the calendar, but I awoke this morning, went outside, took a whiff and thought I could smell the actual season in the air.

It’s hard to define the smell. But it’s out there.

The breeze is a bit cool and it borders on bracing.

Usually, autumn arrives with a bit of relief. Not so much this year. The summer you gave us this year didn’t produce too many “dog days,” if you know what I mean — and I know you do. We had two, maybe three days where the temperature topped 100. All in all? It was pretty nice. Our rainfall was a bit more than we’ve had in recent years and as I write this thank-you note, the High Plains are quite green considering the time of year.

Still, the season is changing and for that I am grateful. Spring remains my favorite time of the year. It brings a relief of its own. The Farmers Almanac predicts a harsher-than-normal winter here. We’re getting ready for it. Spring 2015, therefore, promises to be even more joyful than usual.

For now, though, I’ll just take in the change from summer to autumn.

Thank you for all of it.