I don't know about you, but I love autumn. Except, of course, for the fact that it's a prelude to, well, you know...

It's harvest time, right? There are apples and cider and the hazelnuts are ready. There's the promise of new wine. There's visits to pumpkin farms.

With the extra rain the grass is greener than at almost any other time of the year and the changing colors of the leaves make for a dazzling display, even right here in the big city.

A little chill in the air is OK and the cool nights make the bed seem even more inviting. Then there's the smell of the dropping leaves in the air.

The problem is the early darkness and that snap of freshness in the air are signs of something ominous. You know what I'm talking about.

And, worst of all, for all its glory, autumn in Milwaukee is short -- painfully short. It doesn't allow us the time to adjust our body clocks and our mentality to steel us for winter.

Snow is predicted for Monday. No one is really ready for that. We're all still hoping for a few more 70-degree days.

If we could somehow convince Mother Nature to invite her friend autumn to stay on a few weeks longer, it might be my favorite of all the seasons.

But since she's so content on getting pushed out the door by winter, spring and summer will remain atop my list.