1 Fall Is Here!


     The sun glimmered through the clouds as I raced around the barn. There was a fresh, crisp scent in the air. And all the trees were bursting with color.
     Out in the barn, Wyatt and Imani, my human brother and sister, were busy sweeping the leaves.
   
     I raced toward them as fast as I could to get a better look. But I got a little too excited and tumbled right into the pile!
     Oops! Golden-yellow, orange, and bright red leaves flew everywhere.
   
     As I ran around in happy circles, the leaves made a loud crunching noise. And the brown ones were the crunchiest.
     “Hey, Zonks!” I greeted him as I ran over to the pen. “Look at these colorful leaves! I wonder why they change.”
     “That’s because fall is here! The leaves always change when the wind gets cooler,” Zonks explained. “It just makes sense, like pigs and mud.”
   
     Zonks was right. Some things just made sense. And that’s all that mattered.
     When I ran back to where Imani and Wyatt were, they had now started a new pile.
   
     I was so tempted to jump back in. But then I heard Jennica, my human mom, call my name.
     “Hey, Bo! Come here, boy!” she yelled. She was holding a pup-sized sweater with maroon and orange stripes. “Look what I knit for you!”
     Was it a present for me? It wasn’t even my birthday!
   
     I excitedly ran to the porch and sat down in front of her.
     “Good boy! Now lift your feet so I can slide this on.”
     She pulled the sweater over my body as I lifted my paws one at a time. I couldn’t wait to see how I looked. So when she held open the screen door, I dashed inside and ran to the mirror. I turned this way and that as I admired my reflection.
     I had never understood why humans loved to wear clothes. Why wear clothes when you have fur? Having thick warm fur is one of the best perks of being a dog. But now it finally made sense: this was the coziest sweater ever!