There is a God. I don’t know what religion he is worshiped by, or who he favors in the world, but there he is definitely there.
How do I know this? October.
October is special in different ways to everyone.
On one hand, it’s when the blazing heat of summer gives way to cool, refreshing, breezes. The foliage turns brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange that offset the still-green lawns and prairies.
It’s when sports fans are treated to Friday night high school football. The MLB playoffs fire up in a race towards the World Series, NASCAR drives towards crowning a champion, and football is in mid-season form and fans are either cheering their team or rooting against their rivals. The NHL and the NBA seasons are also launching new campaigns, and the rounds of golf are drawing to a close.
Television junkies are treated to new seasons of their favorite shows, and the fall movie season starts with with Oscar contenders and scary movies all showing up on the screens at the same time.
For still others it’s a return to school, and a renewal of friendships that only seem to be fostered when faced with the common enemy of the school administration. It’s the culmination of months of political campaigning for those seeking public office, not to mention an end to the political noise for the rest of us.
But for me, and many like me, October is the perfect month to be outdoors. The already mentioned weather is cool, crisp, and maybe a bit unpredictable. The sweet smell of freshly fallen leaves and harvested crops linger in the air, and the occasional snowflake can find its way into a late-night or early-morning shower while fog lifts off rivers and lakes.
And for the fisherman, it’s a last chance to get the boat onto the water and catch fish that, at least in the northern climates, are gorging on what’s left of bait fish in preparation for the long, iced-over winter. Bass and northern pike are ravenous and strike with vicious force, and the walleye and perch are just plain hungry.
Gas stations and rifle ranges become gathering places of sort for hopeful hunters, as stories are told about trophies that are already mounted on walls in the minds of the hunters. Already underway, waterfowl, upland game, furbearers and just about every sort of archery season hits full stride.
My wife just laughs at my impatience with August and September. Her entertainment is watching television and reading books in the comfort of her beautiful house, so she just doesn’t get the lure of October and all of its gifts.
I just smile, and grab my fishing pole, my shotgun, a rifle, and a camera, and at night a frosty beverage and the remote control, and strap in for the best 31 days on the calendar.
