Weather 'tis October to suffer the slings and arrows

Biking to the gym after work, the pre-storm air was ... chewy; all cream and velvet and thick. This is the time of year when I repeatedly find myself thinking, Gosh, this is weird weather ... oh, duh! it's October. We'll have a storm or two, and then a gang of hot dry winds that turn the fallen leaves into powder and drive the powder into your eyes as they stomp down the street muttering something about a date with a firestorm. Then more rain, and maybe a brief cold snap. November is when I vacuum out the wall register and re-figure out how to light the pilot light. When I make sure the area around the woodstove is clear and try to put the woodshed in order. When the PG&E bill crouches for its annual high-jump. But October is when things Change.