I See...

Sunshine!

It is strange how, in late August or early September, the sun is shining, but you can definitely feel a difference in the air.  Inevitably there is that telltale feeling of Fall that creeps in between the rays of Summer sunshine.  The leaves are all still green on the trees, and the breeze is blowing through them.

There is a certain way the sun hangs in the sky during early September.  It always causes waves of memories to rush though my mind, and I almost always feel wistful and nostalgic about September.

Today is Labor Day, and I have so many memories of when we were young.  My mom would take my brother and me, and we'd trudge off to some big union picnic on Labor Day.  I remember standing on a sandy ball field in Seattle, eating barely-warm hot dogs from paper plates, while we listened to a string of excited people talking over a loudspeaker... talking about how Labor Day was important to recognize because workers didn't always have rights.  (I think we've slipped backward from those days, but at least we haven't gone all the way to the dark ages yet).

I remember being excited for Labor Day because it meant that school was about to start.  I remember walking to school in the chill of the morning, and home from school in that September sunshine and feeling too warm in my new fall wardrobe.  My grandma would tell me to wait for cooler weather to wear some things, but I was always so excited to get new school clothes, I could never wait.  September and October (my birthday) were really the only times we ever got new clothes, so it was always a big deal.  Back then, you couldn't wear shorts or flip flops to school.  I can't imagine what the kids now would do.

Another memory that sunny Septembers conjure up is the start of the Puyallup Fair.  Seventeen days of craziness.  When we were growing up, we lived on the north hill and didn't have to deal much with Fair traffic unless it was a really nice weekend day or if there was a big concert.  If so, we'd get traffic backed up all the way up the hill in front of our house.  Now, we live six blocks from the Fair, and it is a constant juggling act during the 17-day run.  But this year, we'll be able to take little mister on some rides, so that should be fun.  New memories.

Sunshine.  September.  Sigh.