The Blues That Come with a Summer That Wasn't

Up here in the Northeast, where we didn't have a summer, we are rapidly careening toward a fall - at least, the calendar says we are. However, it is feeling more like the summer we were supposed to have in June, July, and August will come in late July, August and September. We had a pretty nasty winter, as recent winters go, which turned into an eternal rain called Spring, which wandered through what is normally the first month of summer, the afore mentioned June.

Now this is interesting. Growing up, June was the end of spring, not the beginning of summer. Then one summer in the early 1990's, the average temperature in June hovered in the high 80's with similar humidity. Thus was ushered in the change in our Spring, and Summer. Well, about 15 years later, and I hope it is only for this year, June has reclaimed its' place as the last month of Spring. Of course, that threw all the tourist prognosticators off into worrisome articles about damage to the tourist industry, what with the downturn in the economy. What would happen to State Revenue?

We are in the middle of hot, humid weather - the dog days of August, right where they belong. But with the late arrival of summer, one wonders if September will be without it's beloved "Indian Summer" when, for a few days at least, September feels like August. Well, since we haven't really had our typical August until the last week and a half, "Indian Summer" might look pretty strange.

What with all the rain, I'm concerned about the foliage. I'm not a tree expert, so I don't know what an excess amount of rain does to the chlorophyll content of Maple Trees. I DO know that those same tourist prognosticators will have a bird worrying about the brilliance and timing of the great Autumnal forests. You see, if they peak too late (they couldn't peak too soon. They haven't started turning yet in Central Maine)it will be early November, which will push everything right into the early holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving. There needs to be time between foliage season and Thanksgiving for retailers, B&B owners, motel and hoteliers, the State Police, for heaven's sake, to get there breath.

This year, 2009, hasn't been a good one for those who count there livelihood by the weather - or, if "hasn't been a good one" isn't exactly accurate, I'm sure it is safe to say it certainly hasn't been a usual one.

There is an old Maine expression, which I am very sure is claimed by every State in the Union. My Dad, a thoroughly deeply lined native Mainiac (NOT a "Mainer", thank you very much - a term he and I share a disdain for as it is a moniker imported from another State by some flatlander who resettled here to get away from where he came, bringing all the bad he wanted to leave behind, and leaving all the good)taught the expression to me, so in my mind, that gives Maine bragging rights. The expression, particularly apt this year: "If you don't like the weather here, wait a minute".