Here we go...

[lanyard]

60 days.

I'm often up early, getting some work done with a cup of coffee on my porch. Been noticing it bit by bit, but today it seems the sun has hit that point where it takes more effort for it to clear the horizon. The minute or two each day have now become measurable since summer solstice.

The blackbirds in the slough across the street appear to have fledged as the numbers when walking the dog have quadrupled. The cardinals are more active during the day. I haven't seen any waterfowl to speak of, molt is peak, the exception being the roaming hoards of canada geese that make the parks and business lawns their feeding grounds.

After the heat of last week the breeze yesterday seemed to bring an advanced "Hello" from fall. It's a sense the woods around the house have reached their peak maturity. With job changes I don't get around farms like I used to, but I'm guessing, even with the late planting, anything standing has neared it's max foliage and will focus on fruit production now. Growing degree days, adding weight, and then praying for a dry fall.

The gear/equipment heart attack has started. Garage cleaning is taking shape in anticipation of the transition from summer to fall. Guns need to be dusted and shot a bit. The decoys are getting the annual, "do I need these?" once over... the answer is typically "no", but back on the shelf they go. Much of the hunting equipment doesn't get the use it once did, when weekends were spent burning the countryside, often being the only group in a community or county campground. Don't shoot as many birds on average now, but have gained comfort and reliability. This must be what maturity feels like. I call it "getting old". It's just too damned easy to walk out a cabin door, get in a boat, and go hunting. And have heat, a kitchen, a sh!tter, refrigerator, freezer, a decent place to clean birds, and decent chairs for drinking whiskey. I guess Old doesn't suck all that bad, the sacrifices we make....

[h2ofwlr]

We are loosing 2 minutes of daylight a day right now,
Yesterday weather with the low humidity and N wind reminded me of the 1st hint of fall.

[Hansen]

I'm not there yet. I hate winter so I know whats after fall. I love the heat and sun, more and more. I know fall will come soon enough . . . .game fair, the Delta event in Shako, early goose, YWD, duck opener, North Dakota . . . .etc. I just want life to slow down a little, constantly rushing from one place to the next. I have not golfed once this year, 10 year ago I had 20 rounds in and a handicap around 9.

[Nershi]

I’m with Hansen. I love fall but I’m never in a hurry for it to get here. Feels like summer just started with our late spring.

It has had a feeling of fall in the air the last couple mornings.

[lanyard]

With the kids' activities I don't get summer. Even if I wasn't coaching I'd still be at the fields, hauling them to events, etc. with weekends at the field or in the pool.

My "summer" will be exactly Jul 29 to August 8. And in that there is one swim meet.

Aug 9/10: 2020 baseball tryouts
Aug 11: 3-on-3 basketball starts
Aug 12: Football starts
Aug 12 High school swim starts

I don't/won't coach football and Fall is my "permission" season: unless there is some pending major obligation I'm on kitchen pass from Duck Opener through Thanksgiving. Best part this year, less football on weekends it sounds like, more week nights. Fingers crossed. If time could stop somewhere around the 2nd/3rd week October I'd be good.

[cstemig]

It seems like this summer is really going fast. Hate the high humidity, but love wearing short sleeves. However, fall can wait a bit.

Game Fair will be here soon, Scheel’s Hunting Expo & Cabela’s Fall Classic soon to follow. Ahlman’s Shooters Round-Up and Reed’s Fall Outdoor Event sneaking up as well. All of them hint that another hunting season is fast approaching.

[Fish Felon]

Summer has passed fall as my favorite season. I love it. I love my skin feeling moist and soft. Do you know that hair grows twice as fast in the summer? About an inch a month compared to half an inch in the winter and dry months. I love not having to apply carmax to my lips constantly to stop them from chapping and bleeding. I love not having to apply lotion....or what is essentially grease (petroleum jelly) to my skin in order to not have it be painful when I turn and move my appendages. I love sweating. I love the sun hitting my skin and how it feels....tanning it....the warmth....breathing in the beautiful hot and humid summer air.

It's growing more and more painfully obvious to me that we are an animal species that came out of sub-Saharan Africa and are much more suited for the tropics than we are for anything above or below those latitudes.

Fall is still great. I like it a lot. September is without a doubt my favorite month of the year, the love child of summer and fall hooking up. If you want to call it an autumn month go for it, but it's really more of a late summer month. I dig October too for the most part. November is a coin flip depending on the year. Deer hunting is cool and Thanksgiving is great and crisp warm November days I like but in a bad year....well, November is the love child of Fall and Winter and if that baby resembles the former more than the latter it's beautiful....but if vice versa? It's one fugly baby.

I'm going fishing to enjoy what is the best time of year. Screw what I said about September give me July and August heat, sun, and humidity. I love it.

[emptymag]

Most of my gear is ready to go. I've gotten in the habit every year just before duck opener to find all the flash lights and head lamps that I can and replace the batteries in them. I've shot my rifles a few times this year and shoot sporting clays every other week. PTO should be maxxed out around duck opener and I can't wait for the slight chill in the air during the days of mid October. The kinda chill where you start raking leaves with a sweat shirt on but then take it off once you start sweating. When the corn is coming out and its sunny and windy. Duck hunt in the morning, yard work and errands midday, maybe a quick nap or a nooner then go to the bow stand. Can't wait

[Big Doe Hunter]

September is without a doubt my favorite month of the year, the love child of summer and fall hooking up. If you want to call it an autumn month go for it, but it's really more of a late summer month.

Per the Farmers Almanac there is more sunny days in Sept than any other month of the year. Shoot with the early duck openers you can go wake boarding in the afternoon!

[lanyard]

Anyone start archery hunting late in life? Old Man did and I got his 1st Gen, single cam compound. Figure it should be good enough to try and give it a shot. Likely will do lessons at Cabin Fever to get basics, then practice, practice, practice