Mother nature nailed it Saturday morning. Right on cue as the calendar flipped to a new month, fall weather seems to have almost magically appeared.

It was all a perfect start for fall and a great way to begin the Fall Pilgrimage season, which began Friday.

Unfortunately, the women of the Cooper household all had slightly worried looks on their faces as the morning temperatures took on a brisk feel.

None of them likes cold weather, which is certainly around the corner from the cool fall mornings.

The old lady of the house has already begun her winter slowdown, driven, I suppose, by an effort to conserve heat and energy.

At her age, it’s difficult to know what’s going on in her little head.

Honestly, I don’t really know how old she is, probably something around 60 in dog years. You see, Suzy has a sketchy, mysterious past. We’re not really certain from where she hails or her background.

Julie, the real queen of the house, adopted Suzy from the humane shelter years before we met. The best guess is that Suzy is somewhere between 8 and 9 years old.

We believe she was intended to be a squirrel dog, but decided to rebel against the profession. She’s not really the outdoorsy type, and she’s not fond of loud noises either.

Her fear of most men leads us to believe a male may have abused her at some point.

Our newest arrival, a dachshund named Alice, also came to us from the humane society. We’re not certain of her story either. She, too, seems aged beyond her years.

Both Alice and Suzy were unwed mothers at early ages.

Each dog has separation anxiety issues. Both would prefer for Julie and I to just quit our jobs and stay at home 24-7 to make up for the memories of their troubled past lives.

Unlike Suzy, who remains almost constantly alert and worried, Alice is more of a shift worker.

She’s usually in one of two modes. She’s either up and patrolling the perimeter of the house — sniffing every crevice for would-be home invaders — or she’s flat out asleep.

Both are, in some ways, quite human. They both have distinctly different personalities. Both show affection in different ways and both have loving, but sinful little natures.

It’s difficult to understand the folks in our community who use dogs to fight one another for entertainment.

How a human can knowingly inflict pain on an animal just for pleasure is beyond my comprehension.

Hunting is different in my book, as most hunters actually consume their prey.

For years I lived without a dog, but now it’s difficult to imagine a life without one around. Their little personalities and nuances are funny, entertaining and endearing.

If you don’t have a pet, consider adopting one from the humane society.

They’re not all fun, however, they come with many responsibilities and some costs, too — food, shelter, veterinary bills, etc.

But in exchange they can bring great joy into your house.

Pets adopted from the shelter truly seem to appreciate the new lease on life that their human parents give them.

As the fall days slowly turn into winter, please don’t forget about the four-legged creatures in our community. They need good homes, and the shelter always needs supplies as well.

The little four-legged critters appreciate any help, love and attention you can give them.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.