Mornings are crisp and a cool breeze of 87 degrees gently whirls around Rancho Cucamonga. I look at the forecast and temperatures will reach the high 90s-low 100s within the coming week. Fall is such a tease in the Inland Empire. Stores are stocked with back-to-school supplies and even though I am no longer teaching, I get excited and purchase pens and notebooks. I’m reading through the Harry Potter series and words like ‘pumpkin juice’, ‘Honeydukes’, and phrases like “pass the marmalade” (during a breakfast scene) and “They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment,” set the feeling for fall. At the same time, I randomly watch Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version) and the country setting and costumes allude to the coming season. I dream of slow mornings with pumpkin pancakes and coffee. (Trader Joe’s!)