Fall is here...unfortunatley

It is a sad day when I come to the realization that summer has finally gone and winter is on it's way. Granted, we have had an "Indian Summer" here in the top o' the Panhandle the last couple of weeks but it finally looks as if the cold of fall and winter is just around the corner. How do I know this you ask?

I had to put the hard top on the Jeep.

Yup, that is your scientific answer. My long-term forecasts are based on whether I can ride in the Jeep with the top down or buttoned up with the hard top on. NO, NOT REALLY! The meteorology does show that we will probably be experiencing a cold snap this upcoming week of Thanksgiving and although the Jeep warms up quite nicely with the soft top, it doesn't allow one to scrape the windows off nor can you use the rear defroster and wiper. As I will be traveling quite a bit for the holidays, I decided to put the hard top on for a much quieter ride as well as for that extra added warmth I can get.

So it is with a bit of sadness that I tightened the last Torx bolt down on the hard top realizing it will likely not be removed until sometime in the spring of 2008. Yes, I could easily pop that thing off and drive around town on the warm winter days we tend to have up here but it is actually quite a bit more of a hassle than people realize. I truly enjoy driving around with the wind blowing through my hair and my body being warmed by the sun as well as sitting at a stoplight at night and being able to look up at the stars. That and the lines of the soft top look more fitting for a Jeep than the rounded and "stiff" lines of the hard top. Sigh...the soft top is truly convenient for converting to an open-air ride but it doesn't have the additional quietness and protection of the fiberglass hard top.

Oh well, it's not like we won't ever be warm for an extended period again. I'll just have to make due until the spring of next year :-) !