I assume not many of you are any different from me when I ask where the time goes. Only one more week, and the kids will be going back to school again. It wasn’t that long ago that a group of seniors accepted their diplomas to make room for the upcoming group of seniors in 2026.
In about a month, the leaves on the trees around readers of this column will start turning colors (one of the things I miss about “back home” in Minnesota). Here in Florida, there are very, very few trees that have any change in the color of their leaves; most might turn brown and fall off, but many don’t change at all; the leaves stay green and never hit the ground. The most dominant change here is when certain grasses turn brown, going dormant for the winter months.
In about six weeks, the rifle deer hunting season will start – yet another thing I miss about Minnesota. I used to look forward to the guys in my family (and some friends from time to time) gathering around the campfire with a few adult beverages and talking about the opening day of the deer season. Then there were the card games that went far too deep into the night and cut into the sleeping time the hunters had before the opening morning. The following morning, when we were all in our stands before the sun came up, there was the anticipation of hearing that first shot – with any luck, that first shot came from our group, or, better yet, my stand (which didn’t happen often).
One of the things I really enjoyed about Fall in Minnesota was the fishing once the water started cooling down. For me, it was the best fishing of the entire year.
Another thing coming soon to you hearty Minnesotans is the first snowfall. I will admit out loud that I don’t miss that at all. It seemed that the older I got, the harder it was to tolerate the Minnesota winters – not just the snow, I think the cold was worse. Where I am now, there will be a few days below freezing, but never anywhere near below zero. I doubt I’ll ever wear out another pair of jeans since there are only a couple of days a year when they are needed to stay warm outside.
****
This coming Monday is Labor Day, the end of summer. The beginning of another school year, so now is a good time to remind all you drivers that starting next week there will be more kids walking, riding bikes, or waiting for buses, so please be careful when you’re behind the wheel.
Have A Good Week!
