Fog, to many people, may be a nuisance, a way to set the scene during a horror movie, or simply condensed water vapor. A weird film that rests on the grass after a rainy night. Some people may abhor fog, preferring a warm sunny day, and detesting when the weather goes against this. To me, fog is an incredibly underrated phenomena. The cold, expansive blanket engulfs all that is near and beguiles the senses. It is best when it’s thick enough to slice and carve out with a knife, the shiny blade leaving a decent size circle in the blanket, and if someone were to bite into it, it would melt in their mouth, the cool sensation dripping down their throat. That was something I always wished to do when I was younger. 

Fog may get a bad reputation. Many horror movies set a scene with fog, so the audience knows a floating phantom (or villain of some sort) is about to creep out of the shadows. Perhaps it is the idea that we are not able to see as well or as far as we normally do, or maybe it’s the weather that is symptomatic of fog, such as rain and clouds. With these combined, it may seem like we are even living in the Dark Ages, when it felt as though the sun never shined, but fog should not be correlated with malice, for that is a quality it lacks. 

To me, fog is a cool fall day. The leaves have begun to change into many different colors, painting the skyline with dazzling reds, oranges, and yellows, with a smattering of green still present. It reminds me of traveling up to Door County with my family to see the fall colors and to go to the Pumpkin Patch in Egg Harbor. The wind is cool, but not strong enough to blow you away, at least not when fog is present. It coats the fields, creeping its way into neighborhoods so when windows are opened, the citizens will be met with this dense covering. When the windows are opened, it is possible to take a nice long inhale, feeling the cool air enter the house, refreshing to wake up to. When the windows are opened, the scenery inches closer, without a pane of glass in the way to prevent the fog from expanding. When the windows are opened, the air cools, relaxes, and revives the opener. 

“The fog comes on little cat feet” writes Carl Sandburg, and that it does, leaving the way it came. The comfort of a foggy day is unmatched and that cool blanket is one of the best hugs to receive.