The Heat Is On!

Ah yes, fall in Moscow. I know it's fall because
1. We are losing some 5 minutes of light of day. (really glad I bought those black out curtains!)
2.  The leaves are changing. Not in a lazy, slow, Indian Summer coming, New England sort of way. It is, rather, an hysterical, we must lose our leaves by next week sort of way. I know, intellectually, that this is related to the rapid light change but it's still striking. I have visions of one of those cartoons where all the leaves drop at once, screaming.
3.  People are getting grumpy. It's the light (or lack thereof). When we arrived, everyone was still in a good mood, despite the smog, smoke and heat. Now little things are bothering them and they are complaining about small things. Minor things. Leave in the dark, come home in the dark and it upsets the delicate balance. And the dark is not even here yet. Fortunately, it doesn't bother me that much.
4.  I wish it would snow. I REALLY do not like 40F and rain. It sucks.  Now, -10F and snow I can handle, as long as I can find snow pants before then. Soon enough, soon enough.
5.  The fur coats are out in force.
6. The government has decided to turn the heat on. Thank G-d they decided this before they fired the mayor or we may not have had it at all.

Despite all this, or because of it, I love Moscow in the Fall. The tourists are gone, Muscovites have returned from their Dachas and the sense that you are really living here kicks in.