I think September is one of my favorite months of the year. It’s the last month of summer and the weather isn’t too hot, the sunsets and sunrises are brilliant, and it offers the last chance to enjoy the final days of summer before the fall chill sets in.
I love Labor Day weekend, the last holiday of the season, when Michiganders flock up north for that last mini-vacation before the kids go back to school. I’ve enjoyed many Labor Day weekends in Traverse City. And, I’ve spent a few memorable Labor Days visiting family in Maryland, and celebrating with a true East Coast picnic, cracking open steamed and spicy Maryland blue fin crabs on a table covered in brown paper, served with the last-of-the-season’s buttery corn on the cob and some crunchy coleslaw. That’s what I call a real picnic. Yet, I still enjoy my Michigan Labor Day barbecues in the backyard – a Koegel hotdog cooked on the charcoal grill with some yummy, homemade potato salad on the side, and an Uncle Ray’s ice cream for dessert.
Another thing I enjoy about the month of September is that it’s harvest month. Vegetable stands are filled with the year’s last crops – sweet corn and juicy, red tomatoes, cucumbers and other fresh veggies that I enjoy so much. I’m really going to miss them! I store away as much as I possibly can, so that I can have a taste of summer in the cold months. I also enjoy seeing the beautiful mums that I plant in September. And, I always plan a trip to the orchard for some crisp juicy apples and sweet cider.
National Grandparent’s Day is also celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day – a day for honoring the importance of grandparents in children’s lives and celebrate those who are always there with a hug and a kiss for the grandkids. And there is nothing I enjoy more than spending time with my grandkids.
We usually see the Harvest Moon in September – the moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox and the biggest, brightest one you’ll ever see – but this year, the Harvest Moon will shine in October. The September full moon has also been called the Corn Moon and the Barley Moon.
It’s been a long-standing fall tradition in my family to attend St. John’s Applefest in Fenton to enjoy some of Padre’s chili, a piece of apple crisp or apple pie with a dollop of ice cream, and an elephant ear or two. It’s also great to run into people I haven’t seen in a while, play a few games of chance and win a big stuffed animal!
Of course, many parents are excited because it’s time for the kids to go back to school. With that comes high school football games and other sporting events to enjoy. And, there’s still a chance to get in a few golf games on a sunny, September afternoon. Another thing I like: I’m fairly certain it will not snow this month. But in Michigan, you never know … I’ve seen stranger things.
So, it’s time to go have some September fun – enjoy!
