Michael Wright: Ready or not, here fall comes

Mornings felt different this week. Crisp and cool. Dew on the grass, occasionally on the car. At least once, I heard geese honking their way south. My ears got cold on dog walks, and that thick flannel shirt rediscovered its purpose.

Is it fall yet?

There has been a shift. Longer nights, slightly cooler days, less rumbling from the window AC unit. College football is back.

But by noon most days we’re back to T-shirt weather. The NFL start remains a few days away. Fools like me still think the Chicago Cubs have a chance, however slim.

Just consider the weather forecast for this weekend. The high temperatures begin with nines. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Saturday through Monday.

That’s to be expected of Labor Day weekend, the unofficial finale of summer. It’s a brief window for one last ambitious warm weather adventure, or maybe just a few relaxing days next to a lake. A last hurrah.

At least that’s how I imagine most people feel.

Yes, I’m going camping this weekend, and I will enjoy the final days of summer. But I’m also ready for the change. There’s a lot of magic to come in September and October.

Steelhead runs look good this year, at least when compared to recent history. Fish are eating flies on the Clearwater River, and I’m anxious to rediscover the depths of my spey casting ineptitude. I’m also wondering if the waking flies I’ve tied will actually float.

Bird hunting seasons in Idaho and Montana kick off this weekend, and Washington’s forest grouse opener isn’t all that far off. In October, quail and pheasants will be on the table. And, on those rare days when steep hills sound good, there’s always chukars.

I’m excited about all of them, and though he doesn’t know it yet, so is the aforementioned dog. His name is Wrigley – yes, he is named for a baseball field that could theoretically host playoff games this year – and he’s a young yellow Lab mix who is still learning that shoes are not toys. He likes birds, though, and he’s ready for action.

Somewhere in the middle of all that there will also be good trout fishing. Fall means the return of consistent insect hatches. There will be October caddis and fresh batches of mayflies. A friend and I have talked about hitting the Yakima in late September. Meanwhile, Idaho’s cutthroat rivers will shine.

So will the Spokane River. Last fall I found a few places where the redbands rose reliably to blue-winged olive mayflies well into November. On days when I can’t get out of town, and when the weather is right, that’s where you’ll find me.

I haven’t even mentioned the unfilled turkey tag in my wallet.

Summer was good to me this year. Gorgeous hikes, wonderful fishing, one good river float where I remembered how to row. T-shirt weather is great.

But fall is an embarrassment of riches. So much to do, so little time.

For now, as the cooler mornings prompt dreams of outdoor glory, it all seems possible.