Goodbye, fireworks, picnics and corn on the cob.

Hello, colorful leaves, the rustic look, and pumpkin pie.

The calendar has turned to fall, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it based on the warmer temperatures of late.

That recent resurgence of heat prompted Palmerton Memorial Pool to reopen for two days last weekend after it originally shut down Sept. 7.

Despite that summerlike weather, surefire signs that the fall season is here are all around us.

For instance, the backyard pools are cleaned and covered.

Air conditioners have mostly been removed from windows.

And our lawns are down to their final few cuts.

Not sure about you, but I just can’t seem to get myself in fall mode.

Guess I’m just not quite ready to trade in my tank tops, shorts and sandals for jeans, boots and flannels.

I do enjoy fall foliage, breathing in the cool, crisp air, and even taking in the occasional scary movie.

Just not quite as much as I relish beaches, clambakes, or even a game of miniature golf.

Fall does offer a chance to enjoy the great outdoors through a different lens.

Activities such as corn mazes and hay rides will soon be the in thing.

Haunted houses will of course do their best to scare us out of our shoes.

Before long, youth will pick out their costumes to wear for Trick-or-Treat night.

Halloween parades along with their creative floats will be bountiful.

Certainly, all of those activities are reason for excitement.

However, it’s what’s to come in the months to follow that I dread most of all.

Namely the fluffy white stuff, and worse than that, freezing rain which makes traveling dicey.

It won’t be long before we’ll be trading in our rakes for shovels, and grilled food for hot chocolates.

That’s not exactly my cup of tea, pun intended.

Instead, I’d rather be gulping down a nice, cold, Italian ice, Misto shake or Gelati.

Which reminds me that Rita’s Italian Ice will soon close for the season.

Hopefully I get there before they run out of my favorite flavors.

If not, there’s always next summer.