Now that it is almost the middle of October, things in Aspen are officially starting to slow down. The leaves are gone, and with them are the leaf people who come to see them. Today was a beautiful, almost summer-like fall day, and according to the weatherman there are more in store. The river is still fishing impeccably, and for all intents and purposes it is completely devoid of people. It is interesting then, that this is the time of year that Aspenites have traditionally chosen to vacate town. And until today, I just can’t immagine why. When they go, they go to Moab for some mountainbiking, or the Yucatan for the beautiful Yucca (…I guess) or they return to the East coast or the Midwest to visit their worried families. All valid reasons (minus the Yucca-watching), but also a painfully beautiful time to leave. As I said, today I realized why they go – because they can! This is the first time since the beginning of June that many people have gotten more than a day or two off in a row. The work here is slow enough that it makes sense to leave.