This weekend marks both the “official” end of summer, as it is the last long weekend of the season, and the beginning of fall. In most parts of the country, at least weather-wise, it will still feel like summer (and meterologically, factually will be) for another month or so. But offices which had early release on Fridays through the last three months go back to the usual routine, everyone’s pace seems to pick up as the days get shorter and the temperatures cool, and the kids are back in school. Although our youngest is now in her last year of college, our lives are still deeply influenced by the public school year, as my husband works for a small, rural school district here in southern Oregon. And, being one of those people who really loved school and the excitement that came with its start again each fall (even though I loved those long, lazy summer days, too), I don’t mind the school calendar at all. Last night we marked the last Friday of summer with one of the great traditions of fall: the first high school home football game of the season. Classes actually don’t start up for the students in Rogue River until the Tuesday after Labor Day, but the players and cheerleaders have been practicing for weeks, and the stands were filled with kids and adults alike who seemed to relish the chance to be back in the bleachers for a season of cheering on the Chieftains. We were blessed with a beautiful balmy evening, and attire skewed more toward what you’d see at a mid-summer baseball game (shorts and shirt sleeves) than the warmer gear that will be de rigueur in just a few weeks. Most of the first half could have been played without the stadium lights, as daylight still lingers until nearly 8 p.m. And then, after it grew dark, we were treated to an enormous full moon rising above the trees. With a soft, warm breeze still blowing, it was hard to remember that such evenings will soon be replaced by 4:30 p.m. sunsets and a damp, deep chill. Our team was a scoring machine last night (which even only very recently was far from its reality), and “we” defeated our opponents in a resounding 50-14 victory. So, although we are saying good-bye to summer, it seems that we can look forward to an entertaining and exciting fall. –Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader