I’ve been reading up on missed press releases and while I was quickly skimming through a headline caught my attention - NUDE RECREATION WEEK GIVES FIRST-TIMERS A CHANCE TO TRY CLOTHES-FREE RECREATION.  Just like any normal human being who is curious about what the rest of the world does when they think no one is looking, I fished out the article to get more of the juicy information.

Did you know that a national study conducted by National Leisure Travel Monitor found that 15 percent of Americans are looking for a nude recreation experience?  And that memberships to nudist clubs such as The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS) are gaining mainstream acceptance?

“AANR’s mission is to advocate for nudity in appropriate settings as well as educate, and inform the public about its value through ongoing membership growth. It is the oldest and largest organization of its kind, representing nearly 50,000 members and their families, who enjoy clothes-free recreation throughout North America. Nude recreation has experienced tremendous growth and popularity over the last several years and has become a $400 million niche segment within the travel industry.”

I am not sure what bothers me the most, the fact that I would be surrounded by people donning their birthday suits who have not bothered to first read the book *looking great naked* or, the fact that their clothing optional recreation activities are family oriented.  And now that I really start to think more about this, the list of what I would find objectionable is just getting longer and longer.

But hey, if you belong in that 15% that are looking to give it a try but don’t know where to start, AANR and TNS recommends these “fab five” activities:

1. Cool off: skinny dip in your backyard pool

2. Make housekeeping fun: shed those clothes, turn on some music and get out the mop

3. Get in touch with nature: garden nude

4. Exercise in the buff: hit the treadmill or dust off one of those workout videos

5. Telecommuting in the nude: working from home– in the nude–is actually increasing in popularity

With our Summer season finally slowing down, I look forward to the Autumn season and the majestic colours that accompanies this special time of the year.  I can almost hear leaves cracking under my feet as I walk along acres of rolling hills and bronze colored trees.  The change of seasons also means new challenges and opportunities. Like my Father said to me a long time ago, “Time is Gold and should never be wasted”.  

Here’s one of my favourite poems that personifies Autumn in a very humble way.

The season of the year that is the transition period from summer to winter, occurring as the sun approaches the winter solstice, the autumn is referred to as the time for harvesting the grown or cultivated crops and the time when there is a lot of leaves’ shedding from the trees. As goes the actual importance of the autumn, it teaches us about the ups and downs of life. The autumn season us how to get prepared for the lows of our lives and how to face them boldly.

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne