Editorial

Soaking up smells, sights and sounds of season

Monday, October 22, 2007

We’ve been on borrowed time when it comes to frost, but when it hit 32 degrees at 6 a.m. today and was down to 31 by 8 a.m., it definitely confirmed that fall is well under way.

But isn’t the changing of the seasons one of the reasons many of us choose to live in the Golden Plains?

We think so.

That’s especially true if you’re a hunter " youth hunters had their chance in a special pheasant, quail and partridge weekend last weekend in Nebraska, and the regular season opens Saturday. There’s nothing like the thrill of flushing a pheasant and the smell of gunpowder on a brilliant fall day.

But one doesn’t have to carry a gun as an excuse to get out doors and get some exercise. A camera is another good excuse " and while you’re at it, submit your best digital photos to our Web site, for others to share. Click on the “Submit your photos” link on the right side of our Web site: http://mccookgazette.com.

Others with an electronic bent are enjoying the outdoors via “geocaching,” " using global positioning satellite receivers to locate hidden collections of trinkets, then logging their visits on Web sites like http://www.geocaching.com.

But who needs an excuse? What’s wrong with taking a half-hour off to go for a stroll down the Kelley Creek walking trail, along the river in Barnett Park " or even through your own neighborhood?

You’ll be surprised at the number of leaf colors you can spot if you really look, as well as the smells and sounds you’ll bring back in your memory.

It’ll be something refreshing to remember sometime in the next few months when we’re huddled inside during a blizzard.

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