No, I am not talking about the marvelous diner on historic East Davis Street in downtown Culpeper. Though one of their #3 breakfasts might have been good this morning. And I am not going to do a review of the local watering holes there, though that too might be useful I will have to check and see if It’s About Thyme has a bar in the back, or if there is an acceptable alternative at one of the other newer places.

I am not going to talk about anything that might get me in trouble this morning- I veered close to that when I heard about the Strong Cities law enforcement initiative. New York City is joining a new global, terror-busting network that includes Paris, Minneapolis, Rotterdam, Montreal among others. The cities will share information directly about suspicious behavior on the part of the citizenry, and there will be a brand new Czar appointed at DoJ to run the program.

This transnational arrangement was unveiled at the UN. With those people now involved in law enforcement inside a sovereign America, what could possibly go wrong? The have also identified the people most likely to commit violent acts- the Tea Party. I didn’t hear anything about jihadis, but perhaps I wasn’t listening.

So, accordingly I am going to keep my attention on a municipality that is emphatically not part of the program: Culpeper, VA. I will restrain my remarks to the weather and the temperature down there, so as to not alarm any Czars.

As the rock band The Zombies once observed, It’s the Time of the Season.

We had our first dip below 32 degree the other night, and it is only 45 degrees as I type. This means a lot down in the country, so here are the statistics, which my neighbors The Russians have been watching with intensity as penetrating at that of the raptors that soar on the thermals above the pastures for mice and voles.

Last Frost Date (2015): 4/29
First Frost Date (2015): 10/12

So, the growing season (>173 days, putting us firmly in the USDA Zone 6a) is over for the winter, probably until the end of April 2016. Here is how our Government plots the colors of Fall:

I should be able to cut the pastures for the last time today. And then settle in to ignore the NCAA football season, which ended for me yesterday afternoon. My interest in the NFL may continue. I don’t know.

One of the televised games actually caused me to get hung up in Arlington, since by the time matters were resolved I was probably doing the right thing by staying away from the car.

The recent arrival of The Big Chill has caused the trees to start to display their fiery oranges and yellows. An informed reader in the Little Village by the Bay commented that it was snowing. I have another trip planned to Michigan in the next several weeks, and I am going to have to start watching for that, too.

But today is a nice sunny day to look at the colors, and take a drive in the country, which is precisely what I am going to do. If I see anything suspicious on the way, I will look for a payphone to call someone.

Enjoy the change of the season!

Copyright 2015 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303