It has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest: the Rain. It was just a little bit over the weekend, but this week it is enough that our four-month-long burn ban is being lifted and the thousands of acres burning near my cabin are starting to show signs of shrinkage.

I love the rain. I am from the Pacific Northwest, and even though I moved around the United States throughout my 20s, the love for that falling wet stuff never went away. People complain about it—the dark, the heavy skies, the wet—and I am over here with my face lifted to the sky saying, “bring it.”

With cozy in mind, I am sipping on an Earl Grey Cream this morning, which is basically an Earl Grey with a tinge of vanilla. It is my favorite blend by Canada’s Murchie’s, and I absolutely recommend it if you are looking for something different (unfortunately, I have to order it online, but if you happen to live in Canada, lucky!).

Cozy cuppa in hand, I am in my office this morning looking at the maples outside my window waving back and forth with the wind, the fall mix of gray and blue skies with dripping moisture. It is the first day that truly feels like fall. Even the picture above, while I was hiding for a K9 to find me during a Search and Rescue training, still felt a little too warm and muggy.

But today—today, friends—on October first, the feel of fall has arrived.

Finally.

And so, I hope you find yourself somewhere cozy, warm beverage in hand, and that you take a moment to pause and notice the changing of the seasons.