The summer of 2023 sped by quickly and it won't be long before fall is staring us in the face.
It's not that summer is shorter than any other season, it just seems to fly by faster than the rest.
August is nearly finished and the Labour Day long weekend is almost here. The schools will be back in session the day after Labour Day. The days are getting shorter, the evening temperatures are cooler – even when we have a hot late-August day – and before we know it, the leaves will have turned colour and the tree branches will be barren.
We apologize in advance if any of you find this depressing.
But that doesn't mean the fun is over.
We're still going to be treated to some pretty nice days in September, if past years are any indication. Some will argue September is among their favourite months of the year. We typically don't receive a lot of rain. The days are warm but not too hot. The temperatures are more comfortable in the evening. We still have more hours of daylight than darkness for most of the month. And we're treated to the beauty of the fall colours.
We can still golf, fish, boat and go for long walks on the city's pathway program. Those who are a little more adventurous will still go camping after Labour Day.
Now that the schools are getting ready to be open again, people will be back from their summer holidays. More events will be happening in the community. It's going to start right away, too, with such favourites as the 25th annual Ride for Ronald McDonald House and the Estevan Humane Society's Duck Derby on Sept. 10 – two fundraisers that always generate a lot of interest and support from the community.
Ice sports season is coming soon. The ice has been in at Affinity Place for several weeks. The Estevan Bruins and the Estevan U18 AAA Bears both have their training camps this week. Exhibition games begin soon, and the regular seasons will begin before we know it.
Outside of school resuming and the leaves changing colour, there might not be a bigger sign that fall has arrived in Canada than the start of hockey season.
While it can be difficult to predict how a U18 AAA team might do, fans of the junior A Bruins have lots of reasons to be excited this year.
Once the Bruins and the Bears open their campaigns, it won't be long before the other teams start play. Our arenas will have lots of activity on a nightly basis.
If hockey season is here, then it means the Estevan Skating Club's members will be on the ice, too. The process of installing the ice at the Power Dodge Curling Centre will start within a few weeks.
(If you're looking for a couple of good programs to be part of this fall, city-wide registration on Aug. 30 is a good place to start. It's not just sports organizations that will be present, and you'll be able to find programs for kids and adults).
Once Labour Day is in the rear-view mirror, many in the southeast will look forward to hunting season, whether it be big game or birds.
Yes, we have it in the back of our mind that within a few weeks, it will be dark before 7 p.m., and the first snowfall of the year will likely hit within the next couple of months. But there are still a lot of good times to be had.
And enjoy the fun that is coming, because we're all going to be yearning for the days of summer before we know it.
