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Everywhere you walk these days, Halloween decorations are out in force.

Trees have shed their summer bounty. Leaves are crunching underfoot.

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A renewed crispness is in the wind, a hardening of purpose as Albertans begin preparations for a long winter.

The same is true under the dome of the legislature, where 87 MLAs took their seats Monday for the start of the fall sitting.

All the familiar sights and sounds of the season were back.

The thumping of desks in the chamber. Accusations of hypocrisy and incompetence. Demands for points of order.

For public servants and political junkies this is the best time of year, a revival of their favourite reality show, if not an outright rerun.

As expected, the latest Rachel Notley vs. Jason Kenney match took centre stage on Day 1, with the premier fending off the UCP leader’s attacks on — surprise, surprise — the carbon tax and the pipeline mess.

But truth be told, the whole showdown seemed a little more subdued than usual, the rhetoric turned down at least a couple of notches.