Opinion: Autumn has arrived

Football, sweaters, jackets and pumpkin flavored everything is making its debut as the Fall season has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. The temperatures are still more like summer than Autumn, at least for the next five days it will still be in the 90s.

This is also the beginning of my Zodiac Sign, Libra. My birthday is in 22 days. If anyone cares, I prefer red carnations, milk chocolates and lose my mind over almost anything Ouija Board. Checking out the Halloween stores there is so much merchandise bearing Ouija Board graphics. Now if I could just get one of the boards to talk to me…

It is no longer too early to decorate our homes and yards for Halloween. Drop us a line and we could photograph your artwork for a future issue of the Trib.

Surfing the television channels and Internet and you will discover a plethora of monster movies.

While not a big fan of slasher flicks, I love all the movies made from Stephen King stories and reading his books over and over is sheer joy! Having written more than 60 novels, many short stories, plays and musicals there is always something interesting on my shelf begging to be reread.

I also love the Universal Studio Monster Movies. Dracula, Frankenstein and his Bride, Wolfman, Mummy, Invisible Man and all the sequels.

The latest configuration for Horror Host, Joe Bob Briggs is called the “The Last Drive-in!” He puts back on his hosting cowboy boots, hat and bolo-tie showing some really cheesy thrillers complete with schlocky special effects and very high body counts.

Channel Me-TV on cable, longtime Chicago horror host “Svengoolie,” shows horror movies every Saturday night, sometimes interfering with the Fresno State Football Games.

One of the greatest horrors I’ve recently been slapped with is that the United States Government has declared age 65 elderly. My schoolmates Becky Martinez and Robert Poythress are as aghast as I over this development.

Surely we were walking the halls of Madera High School just a few months ago. I am sure I ditched the study hall just last week to hang out at the Big Top or the Arctic Circle. I have a complete recall of the MHS Fight Song and the Alma Mater. Ask me the next time you see me and I will sing them for you.

I spent a lot of high school in the choir room with Lois Worthington. While I sing just fine, I don’t have a really pretty voice.

In high school I would ditch classes and hang out in her vocal music studio. While she never told me to leave or reported me to the dean of girls, (Margaret Dominici or Emma Kelly) she also would not write me excuses to cover for me. Since I only ditched classes I didn’t like, the teachers who taught those subjects seemed ok when I didn’t show up.

I graduated with 30 credits more than the required amount because I always went to summer school. We lived what was then way out in the country and summer school was a ride to town where all the fun was.

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Another Tribune staffer who celebrates his Happy Birthday this month is the multi talented Tyler Takeda.

Not long after Tyler came to work for us, I learned he was born in 1973! That was the year this Coyote graduated high school, which means I am literally old enough to be his mother. While I cringed hard at the time, more than a quarter of a century later, I fully admit I would be proud to be this kid’s mother.

Since the death of our beloved Chuck Doud, Tyler Takeda has taken over so many of the duties of getting The Madera Tribune to the presses and into the hands of the public.

His birthday is October 24. He adores anything Disney and especially a funny little robot from the “Star Wars,” franchise named BB-8. Despite being a San Francisco 49er and L.A. Dodger fan, he is about the best thing that has ever happened to the Tribune, except me of course. But, since I am now ELDERLY, we are blessed to have him at the helm.

Long days and pleasant nights dear readers, have a blessed weekend.

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Readers may contact Tami Jo Nix by emailing tamijonix@gmail.com or following @TamiJoNix on Twitter.