Fall

Fall, named for leafs which do and golf putts which don’t, has arrived once more.

Yes pholks, my annual greeting for fall has rolled off the computer screen for the umpteenth time. Since there is not official holiday for the change of seasons, at least not in this country, I take it upon myself to make note of the occasion. Sure, fall (or as I call it, phall) is in the air—or what we used to call air.

Again I lament the bygone days of burning piles of raked up leafs in the yard and the unforgettable aroma marking fall’s arrival. Air quality rules, being what they are, have stomped out one of the Northern Hemisphere’s third season precious charms which likely never will come back. I did not use the term “clean air standards” because I consider that an oxymoron. Don’t get me wrong, pholks, I’m all for clean air because I can still remember it. Being a rural person at heart and having spent most of my life in non-metropolitan settings, good air is something I naturally have taken for granted.

Air is something a person should just inhale and let it sustain the body as best as possible. It shouldn’t be something to see, taste or wash off your clothes, body, car, house or pet.

Air should smell, alright, but it should smell like air, nothing else. Aromas basically are add-ons. Things like onions, roasted garlic, non-obnoxious perfume or aftershave, Dial Soap, popcorn, coffee, fresh baked bread, campfire bacon, roses and apple pie. Of course, burning autumn leafs in on my aroma list.

In recent years, my sense of smell has diminished considerably which is both good and bad. But I still know my smells.

Times change but I can’t stop thinking how sad it is that today’s younger generations and those to come won’t have the chance to sample some of Mother Nature’s works.

In my opinion, which probably is more humble than I would like to admit, we surely have the technology to really make earth’s air considerable cleaner. But global economics and industrialization bully their way into the Third World, along with the Second and First, at such a pace, Mother Nature and her good air don’t have a chance.

Why not aim the speed of light paced technological advances at cleaning up the atmosphere instead of toward iPhones, iPods, HD television and all those games and gadgets which seem to dull the common sense of most of society.

And maybe, just maybe, those of us who have leafs can rake ‘em up and enjoy that wonderful aroma of fall.

ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT FALL is Visalian Bruce Trout who survived his first Shaver Lake Triathlon and making plans to defend his 50-to-54 age group silver medal.

Although he finished second, Bruce chuckles a little when he admits there were only two in that division. His 14-year old son, placed first in his division even though it was his first triathlon.

Despite a wet day with hail surrounding Trout’s Shaver Lake cabin in the early hours and fog on the lake making it difficult to see course markers in the water, Bruce says it was a great experience. Although he remembers swimming relay event at Lake Success 25 years ago, Bruce said he forgot the part about faster swimmers swimming over slower swimmers until about 15 seconds in the Shaver Lake race. And now he will also remember being passed in the final 100 yards by a 75-year-old swimmer.

Miles can be reached at mshuper@valleyvoicenewspaper.com