It's the season of change.

Winter has already set in here in Madison, Wisconsin, and the trick-and-treaters haven't even been out yet for Halloween. We've already had measurable snow, overnight dips in temperature to 22 degrees and limp, frozen impatiens for weeks.

The heat's been on, the wood is stacked in the garage and a plate of different types of squash sits on the kitchen counter. A local store has already advertised a special sale on the fixings for chili. It's time to put on the flannel sheets a little early this year, without waiting for Indian summer.

It's a new season to be thankful and thoughtful.

Time to change trucks ...

Last month it was time to turn my 1995 Jimmy truck out to pasture. It served me through its last 75,000 miles to 113,858, hauling kayaks, firewood, Christmas trees, lumber and drywall, plastic fencing, furniture, even a freshman boy's life possessions to a dorm room five hours away.

But it began to scare me last winter, after parking at the curb in a pile of snow for a women's hockey game required me to use my 4-wheel low drive gear to get out. Soon it cost about a thousand dollars to get out of 4-wheel low gear.

This summer the air conditioning died, and the garage began to smell like gasoline when the tank was full.