Unseasonably warm and pleasant weather greeted the many visitors to the inaugural ECHO News Fall Festival on Saturday, October 28th at Lion’s Park in Eagle River. The temperatures in the high 30’s and absent precipitation were not the only surprises in store for guests - contests, games, live music and plenty of tricks and treats were also on the menu.
I believe there are some Echo readers who have not seen my calendar that reduces winter to about three months and stretches summer to five. Some time ago I declared, almost King-like, that since we live in such a high latitude, I would adopt a more suitable calendar. Perhaps with climate change, my calendar is becoming more accurate from a meteorological perspective. Whatever the case, I think it’s a guaranteed sanity preserver, provided you are prepared to do one thing: go outdoors!
School has started, and the leaves are falling! The smell of this year’s cranberries is in the air. Termination dust is working its way down the mountains. It is time to put up our fishing and hunting gear start thinking about winter. With fall and winter come many things to think about, from basic home winterizing to making sure your lawn, flower, and garden beds have the best start in the spring.
It lingers in the cool, crisp air. Time is suspended, a breathless anticipation from valley to alpine meadow to craggy mountain ridge. The land’s apparel slowly changes from green to brown, saffron red, yellow and gold. It is nature’s finale – an explosive display of color that ignites our senses and seems to proclaim: “look at me, this is my dance before the long, dark, cold days of winter.”
