In tradidional terms Labor Day is the end of the summer season. Don't go all scientific on me and tell me the autumnal equinox is September 23 and thus the end of summer and the beginning of fall. If you are a kid growing up all you know is school starts just after Labor Day and that's it for summer. End of story.
God I hated going back to school. I had not worn shoes for a couple of months, gone to bed late every night and slept till whenever, sand and the beach everyday and had this bronze tan look of a south sea islander and my hair had been bleached blond by the sun. It would generally take me until Thanksgiving to quit pouting and get with the program.
There are only two good things about September. One is it is the beginning of football season and the other is, if you live in southern California, it is the best fishing month of the year. Football needs no explanation to any red blooded human being but fishing does. Conditions are optimal for most offshore migratory game fish. Ocean water temperatures are ideal, the weather is mild and boat traffic has dwindled considerably.
Then there is Avalon. This tiny little harbor and town on Catalina Island is a paradise. Anchored in this beautiful harbor, some 26 miles from the mainland populated by millions of people, it is as if you are on a different planet. To arrive here after a days fishing with your family, take a shore boat ashore for dinner, listen to a little music at one of the bars then fall asleep under the stars is the equivalent to getting the paddles to jump-start your heart.
So as much as I dread the arrival of Labor Day I must say I have had some of my most memorable family days in September. Whether it is on the run home from the fishing grounds or returning from Avalon on a late Sunday afternoon, I have been reminded many, many times that it is not what you do it is who you do it with. Then, as now, I would not trade places with anyone.
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This post is by far, hands down, the best description of everything that is right about the end of summer… I sooo hated going back to school too… (Shocking, I know.) To this day, seeing the ‘back to school’ commercials on TV and seeing school supplies stocked on store shelves makes me a little sick to my stomach. But then, there is football on TV and I think about how much I love sweater-weather and when the beach crowds thin out and you can sit on the sand and stare out over the ocean and rarely see a boat go by… I love days like that.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite memories of all time is the last day of a fishing weekend (especially when we didn’t catch anything) and being up in the tuna-tower or laying down looking over the bow at the porpoise cruising along with us until we finally reached Avalon. When the boat would slow down and rock back and forth while we looked for an open mooring… That was THE best feeling ever. Then walking down the pier with everyone to watch the saxophone player through the window and still feeling like you’re rocking back and forth and smelling like a boat blanket and fish and tasting like salt… That really was the very best feeling I can remember. It just does not get any better than that. There are no words to describe what it means, and I know you are one of few that would understand that... I love you so much Dad.