I mentioned my blogging sidekick Ficus in a post from almost a year ago as another plant who is always able to figure things out, including when our seasons are about to shift. The very first thing I notice which makes me feel Autumn is on its way is how the sunlight subtly shifts as it gently enters two windows on either side of Ficus, who stoically resides adjacent to my desk. The sun enters that area at a slightly different angle, moves away just a little quicker, and Ficus ultimately spends a bit more time in the shadows during the afternoon. Each year this happens…it just creeps up on me out of nowhere until one day when I finally recognize what is happening. (I have no doubt Ficus wonders why it still takes me so long to pick up on this…)
Once the sun has started to begin its subtle adjustment, our neighbor’s tree is where the next noticeable change takes place. I don’t know what kind of tree it is, and each Spring it looks healthy enough, but around mid-August it sheds all of its leaves in three weeks. With the heat of the summer still at work, we wind up with a Fall-like street setting of crunchy, golden-brown leaves to admire well before Labor Day…leaves which due to the jet stream will eventually be in our yard to admire more intimately. It is another reminder Autumn (and its leaves) is not far behind.
I subscribe to a number of podcasts. Podcasts became a big deal to me when I started a walking exercise program in the second half of last year. I keep track of steps on my iPhone, and as I walk from Point A to Point B and back again, I like to listen to them (when not listening to live sports). The subjects of these podcasts? TV show rewatches, the NBA, College Basketball, College Football…and NFL Fantasy Football. I can easily see a scenario where after hearing the basics of how Fantasy Football is played, those unfamiliar with it would conclude success is more about luck than skill. Google AI spit out most analysts and experienced players estimate season-long Fantasy Football is 50-70% luck. I would concur when we’re talking about actually winning a league championship. I know Autumn is approaching when the velocity of Fantasy Football podcasts subtly ramps up as training camps get into full swing. My wife and I have been playing Fantasy Football together since 1998. It’s fun for both of us (except when we’re playing each other), and it makes watching any pro football game more interesting as each one has meaning…not just the ones our Eagles are playing in.
Dunkin’s Fall 2026 menu is scheduled to launch this week. Starbucks debuts their menu next week. Two in-your-face signs Autumn is soon upon us. Pumpkin Spice everything, baby. I have come to believe Pumpkin Spice is something you either hate or love. I happen to love it. Now, one not-so-little twist this year when it comes to Fall beverages is in addition to that walking program I initiated, I stopped drinking coffee completely several months ago. My morning drinks since that time have primarily been Iced Chai Lattes. I would very much like to re-introduce coffee to my diet when these Autumnal menus arrive, but I think the days of ordering large Pumpkin Spice Cream Cold Brews are over. I just have to figure out how to say the word s-m-a-l-l. (I have been practicing…)
I walked into the local grocery store yesterday and there it was, a fully-stocked, filled-to-the-sky Halloween section with costume accessories, home decorations…and of course, candy. Boxes and boxes of bags and bags. I will admit we do buy candy for the neighborhood ahead of time, but not this much ahead of time. We get about 100-125 visitors to the front door each Halloween. It is a night where the community is united in having a good time. This too-early appearance of the grocery store Halloween section is another sign Autumn…and the camaraderie of Halloween Night (meet-and-greet skeleton included!) is not far off.
ADDENDUM…A New Peanuts Adventure
I have no idea how young I was when I read my first Charlie Brown comic. It just naturally and organically became a part of my youth, and I read it in the newspaper every single day. Television specials and movies followed, and I have been there for all of it.
Autumn always found Charlie Brown once again being convinced to run up and kick a football by his holding “pal” Lucy.
Apple TV recently announced a new Peanuts movie will hit their platform in 2027. And, it sounds like a movie for all of us to pal around with. The title: Snoopy Unleashed.
The set-up…Charlie Brown’s long-time pen pal, a wheelchair-bound girl from London named Mia, makes a surprise visit to Charlie in the States. Charlie Brown now is faced with trying to live up to the “larger” version of himself he promoted in their letters. Snoopy picks up on this newcomer taking over Charlie Brown’s main focus, and decides to run off to the big city. Charlie and the Peanuts gang, plus Mia of course, all set out to find the wayward doggie. In the interim, while navigating the urban landscape Snoopy befriends a stray mutt who is way more comfortable with city life. We don’t know the stray’s name, but he becomes Snoopy’s opposites-attract pal…just like Mia and Charlie Brown.
The script for this 80-minute feature was written by Craig Schulz, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz’s son – and his own son, Bryan Schulz – along with Cornelius Uliano and Karey Kirkpatrick. It is directed by Steve Martino, who directed The Peanuts Movie (2015).
Peanuts continues to thrive – long after its final comic strip ran back in February of 2000 – and this film will certainly add to its historic legacy.
Pictures Courtesy Recraft/Threads/Apple TV
