October is the coolest month.

It's been nippy at night, but refreshing more than cold. It's been incredibly pleasant. October around here sometimes brings long stretches of rain, but even those can be welcome, especially if summer was hot and dry. October is awesome.

Now that we've had a full month of autumn, I think it's safe to say that October is the nicest first full month of any of the seasons, at least at this latitude. January is as much winter as February is; we're just more tired of it by February. July and August, ditto. April is definitely springlike, but in the worst ways. Ah, but October can be delightful, even playful. And certainly colorful.

Further north October is much like our November; further south I guess it's just part of the same smear as September. But at this band on the globe October stands out in some of the most breathtaking ways. There is a mountain road by the Hudson that is a menace to life and limb in October because if you hit it while all the leaves are in brilliance you may drive off the road, overcome by glory.

April gets a pass for all its oft-crappy weather because we're sick of winter and we're happy for the hints of warmer spring and summer to come. But pound for pound, October has the finer weather. It does, however, hang around with November, the bleariest month, and December, which is just as bad but: Santa Claus. I, however, do not assign guilt by association, and I support October in all its ways.

We have one week left, so enjoy it! Then it's all naked trees, darkness, and rain, but that's not October's fault.