Some swear by the sunny days of summer or the cheerful holidays of December. Others like the promise of spring.

But a Missouri autumn truly is a season to savor.

Consider an autumn day. Brilliantly brisk mornings lead to jacket-shedding afternoons. Temperatures top out in the 70s and then drop to the 40s, a sweet end to August's sweltering heat. Those temperatures are perfect for hay rides, marshmallow roasts, going to football games or just sitting in the yard watching youngsters leap into piles of leaves.

Air conditioners can be turned off and windows opened. Who sleeps better than when the windows are opened and the sounds of night allowed in for the first time?

No talk of fall would be complete without a comment or two about the leaves, which already are beginning to tumble slowly off of the trees. Even on a cloudy day, the colors of autumn's foliage burn with stunning brilliance.

These are the days to be outside. Southeast Missourians have been doing just that, walking the trails, riding their bicycles and going to carnivals, enjoying the creation and thanking the Creator for another beautiful season.