The Change of Season

Is it just me, or does it seem like this year just started a few weeks ago and now it’s already approaching the end of summer. It seems the older I get the faster the years roll by.

In Altadena we only have about two good seasons either hotter or cooler so it is harder for us to gauge the gradual changes in time. Days and months go by so quickly that you barely notice the year passing by.

This has certainly been a strange year for us. We have had some very hot days but also relatively long periods of cooler than normal periods. I know we have a ways to go before the heat burns out but so far it has been relatively manageable.

During the summer months many people are away enjoying their vacations with their entire families. With the children being out of school the roadways are relatively quiet. There are not as many cars on the roadways traditionally during the summer months but that is coming to an end fairly soon. Enjoy it while it lasts.

For some reason we have had an . It is extremely important to know that our mountains are serious business. If you do not know the rules of the mountain trails and hiking then it could cost you your life or serious injuries.

The basic rule of thumb (common sense) is not to try anything that you do not feel absolutely sure you can handle. It is not worth the sort of injury or even the death should you make a wrong decision.

Speaking of the wilderness, the . Because their population is higher than usual the competition for food is higher. Survival of the fittest is the law of nature. These wild animals are only doing as nature compels them to do.

Sorry about those who lost pets, but please do not let your pets (extended family members) out where there is even a hint of danger. Protect them as you would any other family member.

Do not leave uncovered food or other things that would attract wildlife into your yard. Remember the wilderness belongs to them and they do not recognize our property lines. They only see opportunities to feed. In addition they have grown accustomed to us.

For you sports jocks, football season is almost here. Sorry, non-sports-fan spouses, but if you did not get a chance to have a few heart-to-heart intimate conversations with your significant others before, you might have to wait until the end of the football season before that opportunity comes around again.

Oh, don’t forget that basketball season is only a couple of months away as well. In that case it may be next summer before you can have a decent conversation with your couch potato spouse with his (or her) remote controls carefully guarded.

In Altadena, our schools do not start for another few weeks, so there is still time to make a quick getaway before the roadways get back into full swing. Those of you that make the drive to work either downtown or to a nearby city should expect to see more traffic just as you started enjoying the calm roadways. Get ready for the extra stress and be kind to others.

Things will be a bit different in several of our neighborhoods because a couple of schools closed as planned. This will make an impact upon your local neighborhoods. In some areas you will no longer see children walking the same route to school or the buses dropping them off at a set time of day and afternoon.

closed and so did . However there will be going on at those sites. Fortunately Jackson Elementary is still open. There may be more children disbursed to the remaining open schools. Some class sizes may be a bit larger to compensate for the school closures.

Lastly, we're starting to see the 2012 National Election season come into full force. Get ready for a very ugly political mudslinging season. Fairly soon you will be hearing all the negative campaign ads. Try not to let them bother you as they did in the past.

This year should be even worse than most because too many citizens are unhappy and really suffering greatly. Try not to take these things too personal if possible because in the world of politics it is much worse than the coyotes that merely do what they do because they are just trying to survive.

In politics they do what they do seemingly out of a mean-spirited nature. They seem to try to destroy their opponent. It has nothing to do with surviving, but instead just annihilating the adversary.

Since it is nearly impossible to get away from all the political hype through the media we must try to find a way to be kind and decent to our friends, family, and associates that may belong to a different political party. Remember we still have to live amongst each other after all the dust settles back down with whoever may be in the oval office.

Times are changing but you still have time to prepare yourself so the coming changes won’t completely throw you off center. If you are a kind and decent person none of these things should change who you are. On the other hand if these things causes you to totally change your character you need to check out the person you see in the mirror each day.