Refusing to jump the gun...

Technically, the end of summer comes this year on September 23 at 9:04 a.m.  That's when the Autumnal Equinox happens.  But it seems that everyone has their own idea of when summer is officially over.  When does summer end for you?

I imagine that most of my neighbors and friends with kids feel that it ended today as this is the first day of school for kids in our area.  It’s back to the grind for them.

For me, I have two times that make me feel that summer is over.  One is the last Friday that weather permits us to join our neighbors down at the beach on our pond for shared cocktails and appetizers, gossip and news about what is happening in our town.  The timing of that is totally indefinite depending on what kind of weather we have in September and October.  One year we even made it down on a Friday in November.

The other official end of summer for me is when the last out occurs in the last World Series game.  It’s a long, slow winter without baseball until the pitchers report for spring training in February.

Still, I always look forward to fall… my favorite time of the year.  I love the cool, crisp mornings and the changing colors.  But why jump the gun?  Here’s a look back at summer.