I actually prefer being out and about in the six months between September and March; to me the summer is more for taking it easy.
My favourite time is late September, when the crowds have gone, along with many of the insects, the days are not too short and the weather is usually still quite reasonable.
Out in the wilds at this time of the year, I can sense the "winds of change" foretelling the coming winter, while the last vestiges of summer linger, and I find myself comparing it with my journey through life, when I contemplate what is behind me and I ponder on what lays ahead.