Transition time in the Golden Plains

On farms and in towns and villages of the Golden Plains, this is a time of transition. As summer fades and early signs of autumn begin to emerge, those young, old and in between are symbolically shifting gears. Summer baseball and softball play has come to a close ... fairs are winding down ... and lake outings are on their last legs.

While the calendar tells us there is another month of summer, the reality is that our seasons revolve around school openings and closings, not points of the equinox. So -- during this week of supply buying and conditioning drills for athletes -- we sense the changes to come.

For both local schools and distant colleges, the start of classes is only a little over a week away, leaving precious little time for students to savor their time at home.

While this is not one of life's big occasions -- on the scale of Christmas or New Year's Day -- it is still meaningful. As we end one adventure and prepare to embark upon another, it is a good time to take stock ... to look back and look ahead ... to make the mid-course adjustments so often necessary in life.

But -- of even greater importance -- it is a time to take a breather ... to refresh ourselves for the challenges which lie ahead.

This week, make it a point to spend time with your friends and family, letting them know in your own way how special they are. And take time for yourself, too, sitting alone with your thoughts, or walking leisurely along the sidewalk or a country road.

The days are so beautiful -- especially the early mornings and late evenings. Let's use them to rejuvenate ourselves for the adventures to come.

The summer was fun, but it went by way too fast. Now it's time to get ready for another fabulous season ... the eloquent, but ever-changing, days of autumn.

Officially, the change of seasons doesn't take place for another 40 days. But -- because of the increasingly early start of school -- for most families the seasonal transition has already begun.

Yes, we are rushing things. But, in the early years of the 21st Century, that seems to be the reality of life in the Golden Plains of America.