Think cool weather.

Think fall and the end of daylight-savings time.

Think Thanksgiving dining and a long weekend to follow.

Think preparations for holiday shopping.

Think Holiday Open House(s).

It’s supposed to be really cool this morning, just the right temperature to get our bodies into the spirit of the coming holidays.

Thanksgiving will be upon us on Thursday, Nov. 25., but before that, there are Holiday Open Houses to think about.

Think snacks and goodies laid out on a decorative table that local merchants place before us when its Holiday Open House time. Think punch and eggnog and other holiday treats, sale offerings of merchandise that can’t be beat.

Merchants are celebrating the beginning of the season at different times, but there’s two events that always draw crowds.

The first is a trio of stores on Sunday, Nov. 14, from 2 to 5 p.m. (Next Sunday, folks, not tomorrow).

Come visit Bainbridge Pharmacy at 1420 Evans St., Bainbridge Engraving and Awards at 814 Scott St., and The Book Nook at College and Scott streets on that Sunday afternoon. Take in the store specials, have a holiday refreshment, put you name in the hat for special gift drawings and door prizes from these stores. Shop special sale items for the open house.

The following Sunday, Nov. 21, is the traditional Holiday Open House downtown. Merchants will open their doors from 1 to 5 p.m. Again, sign-up for door prizes, partake of refreshments at each stop, oogle the merchandise, take advantage of open house specials

Downtown also will have the traditional Christmas ornament signing by artist Mary Barber Cox. Art work on the ornament this year depicts the entrance gates to Oak City Cemetery. Price $8.

These open house events usually bring out the ladies, lots of mother and daughters together, joined by friends and neighbors. The men stay home and watch football.

Holiday Open House always reminds us of our first winter in Colorado. The downtown merchants of Grand Junction, just like here, held a Christmas Open House near Thanksgiving.

As we waited outside of the J.C. Penney store downtown, waiting for the doors to open at 1 p.m., it began to snow.

Perfect.

And as we wandered from store to store, it continued to snow, coming down in big flakes, so by the time we had come to the end of the afternoon, there were several inches of snow on the ground, garnishing the trees, settling over holiday decorations, and generally creating a most perfect afternoon, for which the merchants all said they had ordered the winter wonderland weather, and it started exactly as requested.

Well it is highly unlikely we will have white Open House weekends coming up, but maybe there will be a cool snippet in the air to remind us that fall has finally arrived, the gnats are gone, and the holidays are upon us.

What’s fun about these events is that you can wander through the stores, partake of some of the holiday snacks and goodies, look over the new merchandise for gift ideas, order what you don’t see and need, and generally enjoy an afternoon strolling with friends and family.

December is packed with more things to do.

On Dec. 2, take time to participate with Christmas on the River, a family event at the Boat Basin. We’ll light the tree, Santa will give out goodies to the kids, take a hayride, enjoy the holiday music. Events begin at 6 p.m.

Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., is the traditional Christmas Parade, weaving its way up Shotwell Street and through downtown.

Dec. 16, Christmas on the Square with merchants open late, hot chocolate, hayrides and marshmallows roasting on an open fire.

It all ends Christmas Eve singing Christmas carols along with the Bainbridge Community Band, gathered around the gazebo in Willis Park, event sponsored by The Post-Searchlight. Caroling begins at 6 p.m.

Think Joyous Noel and let the season begin.