Labor Day Weekend

Summer ends this weekend. Well, that’s not quite true in that the astrological summer doesn’t end for another three weeks or so; but as far as Maine tradition goes, this is the last weekend of this summer. Even that has changed a little over the last few years as many schools now begin before Labor Day and for many families the summer season has already ended.

When I was a kid, and even long after I became an adult and started my own family, schools in Maine didn’t start until the day after Labor Day. That was as much of a tradition as the whole summer thing. Labor Day also marked the end of the tourist season and many tourist oriented businesses also closed.

Maine, however, has become a year round vacation destination site as our winter activities now draw thousands each year. But the summer places such as Old Orchard Beach will be shutting down. Some, perhaps most, facilities there will remain open weekends, however, through September.

This hasn’t been the best summer I can remember. Gator Wife and I remained home this year, as we did last year, because travel costs and age have caught up with us. Did we see any sun at all during June, July, and the first half of August? The ending weekend is joining the last ten days or so of spectacular weather.

This weekend always brings back memories of the Labor Day Weekends of the ‘70s and ‘80s for us. Our best friends at the time and their family and the Gator clan had a tradition of going to Sebago Lake State Park to end the summer. My friend left us in the 1990s when he was called to Heaven. But by then both our families had fled the nests and those Labor Day visits to the park had long ended. I probably should mention we started the summer with a similar visit on Memorial Day.

For the four getting older adults, the trip to the park no longer occurred, but it was replaced in October as the four of us took a weekend ride to view the spectacular foliage in Maine and New Hampshire.

Labor Day Weekend is just another holiday weekend now for GW and me. Our daughter will spend part or most of the weekend here, but we don’t have any chores planned. The weekly lawn mowing was accomplished Thursday. I do think GW and GD are planning to get some dirt and spread it in some low areas and, perhaps, put down some grass seed, too. And they may not so it will be just a good time for rest and relaxation. We will have the traditional cookout, probably Monday.

When Gator Son left the nest, he really flew away. He had met a girl on the internet and after college headed out West to meet her in person. They were married and have a daughter and that was way back in the mid 1990s. He has since gone on to graduate work at the state university out there and has a very good job. Unfortunately, time and distance have limited our visits.

It truly looks like this weekend is going to be a great weather one so I hope all of you have a super Labor Day Holiday.

GiM