Where did summer go?

August is drawing to a close, kids are off to school again and, if you’re like many of us, you’re shaking your head in disbelief.

Where did summer go?

It’s hard to believe that we’re already heading into fall, bringing out the safety cover for the swimming pool, packing away our summer clothes, and pulling out the flannel sheets.

OK, maybe that’s rushing the season a little. But we bet it’s not far down on your mental to-do list!

On behalf of our member special and local districts at the Utah Association of Special Districts, we’d like to add a couple more things to your fall preparations.

• While it’s natural to start spending more time inside, don’t forget to check in with your parks and recreation districts on upcoming activities. The fall is ripe for family fun, whether it’s checking out the fall colors, playing a game of soccer, or making plans for your carved-pumpkin festival entry.
• Support your local farmers by heading for the roadside stands and farmers markets for your produce. Harvest time is here and there’s nothing as tasty as fresh from the farm food!
• By Labor Day, begin watering your lawn once every five days, still before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m. And remember to discontinue all watering by Columbus Day, Oct. 9. And you might want to start looking into wrapping those water pipes; it’s easier to do before temperatures drop!
• And looking further ahead, start thinking about alternatives to road salt on your icy driveways and walks. A teaspoon of road salt pollutes five gallons of water and it’s not something we can easily remove from our lakes and rivers. Shovel before sparingly spreading salt on remaining icy areas or, better yet, see if sand will do the job instead.

We hope you had a memorable summer and that, with the help of your local special districts, you’ll enjoy the coming seasons as well.