Today marks a special day in the season. This Friday is an especially meaningful one for New Englanders because it marks the last unofficial day of summer. New England summers are bordered by two big holiday weekends - they begin with Memorial Day and end with Labor Day. After the 1st of September and Labor Day things just seem different; all the kids are back in school, the air is not as sticky and there's a frightening briskness to the air that hints at the approaching Fall only three weeks away.
Of course, the end of August always bares signs of the coming seasonal change. I almost drove off the rode a couple weeks ago when I saw my first cluster of foliage, glowing bright orange at the top of an oak tree still surrounded by green neighbors. Soon the streets will be swarming with "foliage watchers" with cameras in hand and backbacks slung over their shoulders that blaringly scream "tourist!", who have traveled the world to see New England's most colorful time of year. You'd also know them because they'll be the ones standing in the middle of the street taking pictures of a tree in the middle of rush hour (oh yes, I've seen it before). Meanwhile the Mass natives will flock to Vermont to see the real autumn colors amidst mountains spotted with quintessential New England towns (not to mention the best apple pickin' and maple syrup). It will all come so fast after Labor Day.
So moral of the story is, enjoy the last weekend of summer. Hit the beach, take the boat out for its last summer run, wear your bathing suit every where you can (using your own discretion of course), and exhaust every last ounce of propane in your grill with a full weekend of BBQs/cookouts (Hellooooo Bobby Flay!). It is all too fleeting!
Happy Labor Day!