Previous columns 

Well, it won't be long now until there is some frost on the pumpkins.

In fact, last weekend I was out at a cabin and on Monday morning there were some ice crystals on the wooden deck. That is a pretty clear indication that the nighttime temperatures are dropping.

Black flies during the heat of day, northern lights and shooting stars at night, leaves falling and my lawn has finally turned green - these are all sure signs that fall has arrived.

In case you hadn't noticed, this has been a cooler than average fall. Also, at least in the places that I have looked, the Linden berry (northern cranberry) harvest is rather sparse.

Luckily, last year's harvest was good and I still have some in the freezer. This year there are lots of spruce hens in the bush and the bear population is also rather high. Unofficial reports indicate that bears have vandalized some cottage areas several times this summer.

So if you go out berry picking, don't expect to find a lot and keep a look out for bears.

Also, in case you hadn't noticed it yet, this is a territorial election year and "Vote for me" signs are beginning to spring up all over place. They are sprouting faster than mushrooms in the bush after a cool fall rain. Maybe we should have a contest for the catchiest slogan of the campaign, for the most colorful sign or even for the most obnoxious or intrusive sign.

Some intersections have so many signs around them, it looks like some sort of breeding frenzy. Every time I drive by there are more of them and if the trend continues, by voting day there will be wall to wall signs from downtown to Wal-mart and back.

Now, if you were the mercenary sort or a blatant opportunist, you could put out the word that any person running for office can put a sign on your property. You would allow this, as long as the signs come on a standard sheet of plywood and under the condition that after the election you get to keep the plywood and 2x4 supports. At the end of the election you would have enough wood to build a good size storage shed or a small cabin.

Another sure sign of fall is amnesty week at the dump, of course. From Sept. 17-23, you can take all the garbage you want to the dump and the regular $5 gate fee will be waived. Of course, the city hasn't gone complete bonkers or turned benevolent, because all of the other regular tipping fees still apply, so you will pay if you have any appliances, tires or batteries.

The fall is always a great time to pick up next year's gardening supplies as some people throw out pots and planters, soil, gardening tools and supplies. It never ceases to amaze me that with our shortage of soil up here people throw it away at the dump. For some strange reason all the garbage gurus and the endless dump studies that the city has commissioned over the years don't recommend a clean soil area for the dump.

Throwing good gardening soil into the dump should be a criminal offence. In fact throwing anything good into the garbage or bulldozing good things should be a criminal offence.

Maybe this should be a campaign issue for the MLAs; they could pass a law that it is illegal in the NWT to throw away or destroy perfectly good stuff in northern dumps. Something to think about.

- Walt Humphries is a well-known Yellowknife artist and prospector