I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…