It's the end of a week that we never wanted to end; we'll slap up a poll later in the day. Until then, keep sending us your submissions.

Your nominee today comes from the Albany Times-Union. It's by Dan Howley. This is how it starts:

This portrait we call autumn brushes against our emotions. It can make us want to be a kid again and jump in pile of leaves or make us blue as it pulls the curtain on our daylight and ushers us uneasily toward ice and snow. And since it has so much for us to do in such a compressed calendar, it comes with urgency. It sends us foraging through our closets to see what we need, what we don't need. There are tires to buy, heaters to fix, fireplaces to clean, wood to stack, things to bring in, leaves to bag.

News-holes to fill, etc. It's a rich tapestry. One which goes on for three pages. Take a look: We promise you'll never see autumn the same way again. Most likely because you will have clawed out your eyes.
Autumn's sonata [AT-U]