Ah Yale! The grass is green, the sun is out and all of our friends have gotten more attractive and less annoying over the summer. But the blissful idleness of Camp Yale and shopping period is fleeting and so is the good weather. A few short weeks past the free food and August temperatures freshmen will be chanting “why not Stanford?” instead of the Bulldogs’ fight song.

We may not be able to change the climate, but we can list our suggestions for taking advantage of the outdoors while the weather is still hot. Listen now or reread this page woefully come November.

Get fit

Losing weight is America’s number one New Year’s resolution, and judging from the crowd at Payne Whitney sign ups Yalies make similar goals every September. Save the stuffy gym for reading week and get outside with IMs, runs and bike rides, or even a Frisbee throw on Old Campus. For the more goal-oriented, there are a score of fall fun runs and other sporting events in New Haven. The East Rock Challenge 5 Mile Road Race takes place Sept. 21 — a good welcome to fall fitness.

Al fresco dining

The meal plan may have started up again, but that doesn’t mean we don’t crave off-campus eats. Whether the goal is to snack on the lawn or splurge on outdoor entrees, New Haven offers a variety of tasty options. On the pricier end of the spectrum is Thali Too, the vegetarian younger sister of one of New Haven’s best-known Indian restaurants with an outdoor seating area off Broadway. Further afield, Kasbah Garden Café on Howe St. offers exotic Middle Eastern fare at reasonable prices in a garden setting. For a more casual meal, grab a burrito from the York and Elm street cart and picnic on Cross Campus, overlooking the scenic Calhoun construction.

Off campus and outdoors

There’s no better time to venture into the wilds of Connecticut than when the weather is warm and the leaves start to turn. Switch up the annual East Rock pilgrimage with a trip to New Haven’s other park, creatively titled West Rock. A ride down Whalley Ave. will get you to the 43-acre woodland area, complete with waterfalls and walking paths. Looking for more than a stroll? Continue into Hamden, where Sleeping Giant State Park hosts 30 miles of hiking trails and offers the chance to see local wildlife — or Q-pac students in their natural habitat.