There is something sad and fleeting about seeing the first snow flurries of the season.

It doesn’t matter what the date is on the calendar, it is a sign from Mother Nature of what is to come. The cold days and long nights are here for a while and right around the corner the snow will be measured by the foot all too soon. In other words:

Winter.

We all know even though Winter does not officially come until late December, that the first flurries tell us a different story when they come in October. Winter in my world starts on the day of those first flurries.

Those flurries also tell me that whatever outside chores that I have been procrastinating about doing, that I had better get my arse in gear and get them done. Although this year we have gotten ahead of the Winter curve and only have a couple of things left todo.

Our forecast is to get a couple of inches on Friday, so today’s flurry activity is a harbinger of things to come.

While the first snow flurry may not mean much to most people, this is the day that for me winter starts.

I have a feeling that Winter will be a long six months, maybe more — before it ends.

How about you, what tells you when winter starts?