Happy Day After Labor Day

How was your summer? No complaints here.

Not long after we moved to Bear Lake late last year, Bob, Cash, and I were out for a walk. We came across a neighbor who was shoveling snow and ice from a pothole in his driveway. He seemed a little surprised to see us, as if we were a new species of mountain wildlife, but he warmed up to us quickly. Maybe he was just happy to have a reason to stop his shoveling for a bit.

We exchanged stories...he and his wife have lived here for about a decade while we had just relocated from Salt Lake. They are year-round residents, as are we. That's when the vetting questions started. The same questions that nearly everyone has been compelled to ask us when they learn our Bear Lake home is our only home. Things like, "You know it gets cold and snowy in the winter, right?" And, "Do you have four-wheel drive?" And, "Do you ski?" And then one more time, "Are you gonna be okay with the cold and the snow?" (Yes. Yes. Haven't ruled it out. Yes.)

Eventually, our new neighbor seemed willing to accept that our move to an Idaho mountainside was intentional, not a mistake. We earned our year-rounder cred. At that point, the conversation changed, moving from the dangers of winter weather to the irritations of summer tourists: ATVs buzzing up and down the road in clouds of dust. Traffic jams in Garden City. Back-ups at the marina. No open tee times at the golf course. Overflowing dumpsters. And the like.

Everything gets quiet again the day after Labor Day. "That's like Christmas Day to us," he said.

So here we are, about nine months later. Our first Day After Labor Day at Bear Lake. It does have a certain stillness and quietness to it. It's nice. But the summer days leading up to today, even with the dust and the crowds of people, were lovely. Beautiful sunrises, live outdoor music, paddleboarding and boat rides, naps in the hammock and on the beach, visiting friends and family, hiking, hamburgers on the grill, raspberries, long days and starry nights, wildflowers, hummingbirds, rounds of golf, a Cubs winning record, festivals and fairs, flip flops, and tan lines. That was some good stuff. Experiences better than any Christmas gift I can remember getting. (Except for maybe that one year that I got a new bike.)

Related side note. If you're bothered by Christmas decorations appearing in stores before Halloween, brace yourself. On Labor Day evening, there was a T.V. promo for a "Christmas at Disneyland" vacation.

Send your complaints to Disney. Please.