Feel That? It's Fall.

We seem to forget how lethargic people can get in the “dog days” of summer. I was getting a haircut the other day and the lady who has cut my hair for a long time said that her business had been slow and she could not figure out why. I told her that the heat was really keeping people from getting out and moving around anymore than they had to. With temperatures in the triple digits for over three or four weeks, it just saps your energy and we all suffer from, as my friend calls it, “air conditioner poisoning”. Everything is air conditioned everywhere we go and we just get accustomed to cool temperatures and then cannot take the heat. I know there are some things that I would not even attempt in August. One of those is an auction. One thing I have learned in 25 plus years as an auctioneer is that, given a choice, people will stay inside and will hardly get out, and many cannot get out, during the dog days.

Last week, we felt the first hint of cool air. In fact, last Friday morning as I headed down to the road to get the newspaper before daylight, I almost wished for a light jacket after the cool rain the night before and the north wind. The other thing that it does, especially in an election year, is it energizes those political candidates, who even though many had to get out during the dog days, cool air will put a snap in their step and renew their optimism. That first cool front just makes us feel like goin’. It is like our part of the country just drank one of those fancy, smart alec energy drinks. By the time you read this, what is considered by many “the last big weekend of the summer” has come and gone and people are just out and about more. As voters, we have a big assignment to study for in November. Not only is it an election year for the Governor’s office and several congressional seats but as I have said before there is a whole page of state questions that will require a little bit of study to be able to make sense of. We actually have that page in a printed format that we can e-mail or send out to you if you would like a little preview, so feel free to call my Capitol office at 405-557-7307 or e-mail me at donarmes@okhouse.gov. If you would like copy of those just give us a call or e-mail and we would be glad to send you a copy. I will also be posting a copy on my Facebook page. So, feel free to access that information and be prepared because if voter turnout is anywhere near decent, it may take a while to vote in November.

In the meantime, enjoy this break in the heat and the much anticipated turning of the seasons. Remember to take time to enjoy what I personally consider my favorite time of year. We have got a little ways to go before winter sets in but should have some beautiful days and crisp nights. The kind where a light jacket is just perfect and the days are warm enough to get out and do things. I am reminding myself, as well as you, to stop and realize how great things are and enjoy what should be a beautiful Oklahoma Fall. Whether you are a hunter, fisherman or a biker, or just like to putter around in your yard, this is the sweet spot. Don’t miss it.