Sports: It's hard to tell the season this time of year
Nov. 3—A few years ago there was a movie called "A Man For All Seasons."
Well I think last week you just about had to be that in Athens. We got cold weather, rainy weather, warm and muggy weather, thunder and lightning and high winds.
Through it all we had band kids, cross country kids, football kids, moms and dads, and fans, all trying to guess how to dress to make it through their designated event.
I came to Bruce Field Friday night expecting to see Athens play football against Chapel Hill only to find that the game had been called off, and rightfully so, because of lightning in the area. The lightning didn't go away for a couple of hours, so they moved the contest to Saturday afternoon. It was a strange scene watching a Hornets game in the daylight with no bands in the stands. I overheard one lady saying she liked it better without the bands because "you can hear everything." I trust everyone was on their best behavior.
Personally, missed the bands which create so much of the atmosphere of the high school football experience.
As for the football game it was a flashback to the warm and muggy nights in September, but the kids battled it out to the end despite the sudden changes they've gone through.
There was a point in the third quarter when I thought the Hornets might pull the upset. That's when they hit a 47-yard touchdown pass on a slant, that was over as quick as the lightening we'd seen there the night before.
After watching college football games until past midnight, I woke up Sunday morning dressed for church expecting a cool day, but by the time church was dismissed it felt like an early November. The winds were high and the temperature was down. The handle was cold when I stopped to gas up my truck.
Halloween was on Tuesday and you never know what kind of weather you're going to get then. The kids can only guess when they build their costumes whether they'll be sweating through the fabric or wish and they traded their princess costume for a furry coat. Tuesday wasn't too bad, though, and I'm sure the kids had a good time collecting their candy. And luckily it wasn't so warm the candy stuck to the wrapper.
Then come Wednesday the sun came out on cool and beautiful day. The forecast said we were looking for even warmer temperatures as we head into another weekend. It should be in the 70s for the TVCC homecoming game, Saturday.
The saying in Texas is if you don't like the weather just wait a while and it seems like this time of year we go through these weekly cycles of alternating cold, warm, sunny and blustery days.
On top of that, this weekend the Sunday Daylight Saving Time ends and we'll have to get used to going home in pitch dark conditions. In the morning, the outside cats will be confused, thinking breakfast should waiting on the front porch. I'll take out my pocket calendar and try to explain the change, but it doesn't make any more sense to them than it does to me.
Even though the weather may not be predictable, I can definitely feel the change of season. This is the time of year when I sit on the recliner watching football while eating the remainder of the Halloween candy. It's the season of seemingly non-stop Christmas commercials and promos for Christmas movies.
In a few weeks we'll take time out to give thanks, then line up for the bargains on Black Friday. We browse for those Christmas gifts, while hearing Sleigh Ride for the first of about 1,000 times.
In sports, we'll be driving to football playoffs, then waking up early on Saturday for basketball tournaments. We may not know what the temperature is going to be, but get ready for a whirlwind of activity.
