Only a few weeks ago, we were diving off the pier and into the cool, clear waters of Lake Michigan. Impromptu weekday swims. Afternoons spent drying off in the warm breeze. But as autumn gains momentum, this summer seems more and more like a dream.

As if on cue, summer has faded. She’s headed south, leaving a cool, damp void. She left without saying farewell, as though she just decided one evening she’d had enough of Chicago and jumped on the redeye. The recent storms have ushered in autumn, with her sultry colours and her petulant temperatures. She’s already started putting her signature on the city: fancy establishments are sprouting pumpkins in their flowerbeds, boots have replaced flip-flops as the shoe du jour, and leaves are turning every shade between straw and ox blood. She’s gathering momentum.

Many locals seem just as excited for fall as they were for summer. Maybe they get excited for every season?