With so many styles to choose, you're sure to find the shoe that fits

It's supposed to be 74 and sunny today. Not to spread fear, but this time of year you never know how long it will be until you see 74 and sunny again. And did I mention that fall color is at its peak?

You can't go wrong today with the usual suspects: Umstead State Park, Eno River State Park, Falls Lake Trail, the American Tobacco Trail. If you're looking for something different, check out the November hike recommendations at our sister site, nchikes.com.

And if you get out, let us know where you went and what it was like.

The color was good on the Uwharrie Recreation Trail last weekend. 

Today's Arts & Living section of The News & Observer includes a Fit column on four fall hikes in the region. Unfortunately, you need to do a little digging to find out what those four hikes are. We're working to clear up the problem. Until then ...

Start here: "Cool air, way cool colors are calling hikers." That's the introduction. Then, to find the actual hikes ...

Go here: "Lace up your hiking boots."

Hope that helps.

It's still tricky finding gas in the high country, but if you like living on the edge and have mastered the art of coasting the downhills, check out the fall hiking recommendations at nchikes.com. Three are in the mountains — Graveyard Fields, the Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smokies, and the Graybeard Trail at Montreat.

If you're not into coasting and prefer to let the show come to you, there are also a couple of recommendations in the Piedmont: the Ledge Spring Trail at Pilot Mountain and the Sugarloaf/Morrow Mountain trails at Morrow Mountain State Park. The color will be starting there later in the month.

The latest (Oct. 1) from the Asheville Fall Color Report says the show is beginning to pop, especially in the bushes, above 5,000 feet.

Throw in the first weekend of fall-like weather and you've got six good reasons.

Riding Cary's Hinshaw Greenway this weekend, our attention was caught by this glimmering sweetgum leaf at trail's edge. It was a loner, not part of a massive dump, obviously, what with this being mid-September. But it served as a reminder that fall is nigh.

How nigh?

Check out our sister site, nchikes.com, to find out.

This week, teams of all sports are playing scrimmages and jamborees.

By this time next week, however, most sports will have had a regular season game, or at least a final scrimmage game.

 East Wake's future looks like this:

Varsity Football at Rose (Greenville) Scrimmage Tuesday, Aug. 19 (TBA), OPEN date for Friday's game (Aug. 22) , 7 p.m.; JV Football at Granville Central Thursday (Aug. 21), 7 p.m.; Volleyball at Bunn Tuesday (Aug. 19), 5, 6 p.m.; Women's Golf at Holly Springs (Devil's Ridge) Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., at home vs. Millbrook Thursday, 3:30 p.m.; Cross Country at Millbrook (jamboree) Wednesday (Aug. 20), 5 p.m.; Men's Soccer at WF-R Monday (Aug. 18), 4:30, 6:30 p.m., at home vs. Millbrook Wednesday, 4:30, 6:30 p.m.; Women's Tennis at WF-R Monday, 3:30 p.m., at Holly Springs Wednesday, 4 p.m. and at home vs. Millbrook Friday, 3:30 p.m.

Knightdale looks like this:

Varsity Football vs. Enloe Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.; Women's Golf at Holly Springs (Devil's Ridge) Tuesday (Aug. 19), 3:30 p.m.; Volleyball at Jordan Monday (Aug. 18), 5, 6 p.m., vs. Millbrook Tuesday, 4:30, 5:30 p.m. and vs. Wakefield Thursday (Aug. 21), 4:30, 5:30 p.m.; Men's Soccer at Louisburg Thursday, 4:30, 6:30 p.m.; Cross Country at Millbrook (jamboree) Wednesday (Aug. 20), 5, 6 p.m.; Women's Tennis at Millbrook Monday, 3:30 p.m., vs. Smithfield-Selma Wednesday, 4 p.m. and at Wakefield Friday, 3 p.m.

Don't forget, season passes only work at a HOME GAME. Plus, admission is up a buck this year (at least as far as I know it is), so be prepared and carry a few ones.

An ode to the rake, an appeal to the neighbors.