Fall, Leaves, Indians, Cold

   Fall is not the most pleasant time of the year -- once the leaves come down, along with the
temperatures. The past few days the temperatures have fallen dramatically, as though January
were now intruding itself upon the day. When the average temp. is closer to 40 oF than than 60, it's time to head in -- to your neighborhood rec center.
   I am lucky in that mine is only a few blocks away and is free if you are a local resident. I don't know if that is the situation everywhere, but this is town maintained -- it's not a club like the YMCA. For being a local you get to use various weights, have access to a walking track that goes above and around the basketball court, the opportunity to do aerobics, or relax with a game room that even has the old fashioned pin ball machines and pool tables. It's a good deal. And the last time I was there I also drank in a 180 degree view of the surrounding woods -- a rather drab red and orange, as the leaves were stubborn and never fully peaked. It was warm in early October and I guess the trees were not stressed enough to all get together in unison and produce bright colors. Even on campus, where I took my students on a "leaf collecting" expedition, many trees by the third week of October had barely changed color at all.
   Early in October we went to a Native American Festival, and did get some sunshine, and some warmth from exercise. The dancers, the main attraction of the festival, invited onlookers to also
do the Indian two step in their outdoor circle, so the spouse and I did that. That up and down movement I'm sure was good for my immune system (jumping is supposed to activate your lymph nodes, according to doctors in the Somers' book). I only did it for 10 minutes but wow, what a workout!