Ten reasons to love fall

They say that our favorite season is always the one in which we were born — and since my wife, both children and I all observe our birthdays between September 18 and October 15, it’s inevitable that I favor fall. Here are 10 other reasons why:

- The changing leaves. I took a ride up on the Blue Ridge Parkway over the weekend, only to find that the leaves there had crept past their peak. Still, there was enough orange, yellow and red draped across the mountainsides to feed my craving.

If one were to use the human life cycle as a metaphor for the changing seasons, this part of fall is like nature’s midlife crisis — a final splash of exuberance and gaudiness before winter settles in. This is the red sports car, the startling change in hair color.

- The scent of burning leaves. It’s probably carcinogenic, or at least allergenic, but I don’t care. To me, it is a melancholy fragrance that evokes a hint of sadness for the passing of another season. It also smells like a certain illegal substance, but that’s neither here nor there.

- Handing out candy on Halloween night. It always makes me feel like some sort of benevolent monarch bestowing gifts on his subjects. The kids’ costumes are cute, and we don’t have to worry about the next day’s sugar madness, because our kids are grown.

- Political yard signs. I’ve never understood why it matters whether Candidate A has more signs out than Candidate B, but it must be a subliminal thing. I just think the splashes of red and blue add to the overall riot of color, and I much prefer them to the political ads on TV.

- Local political campaigns. Most of the people running for boards of supervisors or county clerk jobs don’t have the money to run TV ads. That’s one plus. Also, from a reporter’s point of view, they’re more likely to converse in plain English rather than some regurgitated “message” instilled by a campaign consultant.

- The ceremonial changing of the clothes. I get to dig out all my sweaters again, many of which smell like mothballs. That scent also evokes fall for me.

- College football. I like pro football, too, but the pros don’t have marching bands. The rattle of the snare drums and the horns blaring out the school theme song give the college game its own unique soundtrack. Moreover, these contests seem to mean more because there are fewer of them. Call me a purist, but the current practice of broadcasting college football seemingly every night of the week has diluted the impact of Saturdays.

- Thanksgiving dinner. It’s not a good time for turkeys, but it’s the one day of the year for society-sanctioned gluttony. If the vegans ever take over the country, I’ll miss it.

- The grass stops growing.

- The end of Daylight Savings Time. You get to sleep an extra hour on a Sunday. How cool is that?