Labor Day is often thought of as a farewell to summer, even though the official end is still two weeks away. In recent memory, the end of summer has been hailed with a hearty ?good riddance,? with memories of prolonged heat waves and drought seared behind a sunburned brow?and usually stalking us into early autumn, for that matter.
Summer 2015 has provided an invigorating reprieve from that routine. We?ve had barely a handful of triple-digit days to this point. Yes, we?ve endured more humidity-thick days along the way than we would have liked, but taken as a whole it?s been a mild ride. Temperatures have been relatively moderate and measurable rainfall has been the rule more than the exception. Can you remember the last time we still had green (non-irrigated) lawns and pastures at summer?s end?
Of course, a few rains were heavy, and some flood damage resulted. County roads took a particular beating this season, a problem that has generated more heat than the usual. But the wheat harvest was good, a substantial corn harvest is underway and the soybean fields are lush green with great promise. True, wheat prices have shriveled in the late-summer heat, but weather was not a significant contributor.
Even the Kansas City Royals have contributed to a great summer, accumulating a bumper crop of victories after many years of drought on the baseball diamond.
So we salute the summer of 2015 with sincere appreciation for the blessings we?ve enjoyed and the memories it provided. But we still welcome fall. For many people, it?s the favorite season of the year. Let?s be grateful for what we?ve received the past three months, given the fact that most of it was beyond our ability to control. The truth is, every season of life has a silver lining if we only look for it. ?DR
