Summer season needs to slow down
…Wow, is it just me, or has this summer been flying by?? We are less than two weeks away from September, school is almost back in session and I’m already seeing Halloween decorations on numerous store shelves. And I have to be honest, it’s starting to depress me. I don’t know about anyone else, but I just wish this summer season would SLOOOOOOW DOOOOOOWN. I’m not ready yet for the inevitable and impending doom of barren trees, colder weather, shorter days and gray skies. Besides, there are still so many things I’d like to do before we bid farewell to summer. Trip to Cedar Point? Coming up. A return to the Skyview Drive-in? You betcha. One more outdoor concert? That would be great. If there is any consolation to fall rearing its chilly head, however, it’s knowing that there will be fewer outdoor chores that will need to be done. No more mowing grass, running frantically from bees, or sweating through projects like last weekend, when my father-in-law and I decided to take on 23 tons of gravel.
This fun adventure occurred last week when we ordered and received the gravel for our newly built driveway, and after it was dumped in a gigantic mound the two of us decided it would be nice to have it finished for my wife before she came home from work. So, for over four hours in the blistering heat and humidity, we (well, mostly he – I just tried to keep up) shoveled, raked and leveled all of the gravel, only taking breaks long enough to avoid heatstroke and hysteria. Finally we finished, and as I threw down my shovel I was horrified to find several odd, pulsating red bumps on my hands. I asked my father-in-law what the heck these hideous things were, and he simply smiled, and said, “Blisters.”
“Oh,” I replied. As I stared at them, He quietly asked, with a bemused smile forming across his face, “You never had those before, huh?” I was going to try to explain how one time I was on a tight editorial deadline here at the paper and I ended up typing so fast that I had calluses on my fingertips and my wrists were sore, but somehow I don’t think that would have impressed him.
And as I walked away, I swear that – even with my bad hearing – I could hear him shaking his head in dismay.
Anyway, the driveway looks great and my “blisters” have healed. And it comforted me to know that this would probably be the last big home project I’d have to worry about this summer, now that fall is looming around the corner.
Uh-oh, I just spotted my wife lugging around that heavy weed-whacker contraption. Gotta go hide…
…Well, summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the Messenger staff is resting on its laurels. We are now gearing up for the 56th annual Bituminous Coal Show, which kicks off its week-long festival with the annual cheerleading competition on Aug. 22 and the Coal Queen Pageant on Aug. 23.
The annual event will also once again feature many events, such as the state mine rescue contest, the baby picture and “Old King Coal Couple” contests, pet and bicycle parades, a carnival, a Wii boxing tournament, a car show, the King Coal Prince and Princess contest, the annual car show and parade, a junior-senior high dance, and much more. Should be a fun week in Carmichaels next week. Look for tons of detailed information about the upcoming Coal Show throughout this very issue. And by the way, a special “Thank You” to Rachel Fay Haring, King Coal Association publicity director, for providing the Messenger with a wealth of info, photos and articles to help us with all of the Coal Show preview stuff…
…And then after the Coal Show, the Messenger gets ready for some football! We will soon be unleashing our 2009 Pigskin Preview, in which we take in-depth looks at the Greene County high school football teams as they embark on another hard-hitting season of gridiron action.
We are pumped up for the upcoming season, and you can count on us to bring you the best coverage, photos and previews each and every week, all throughout the fall. And, to make the football season even more fun, we are proudly bringing back our weekly “Pigskin Picks of the Week” contest, in which we’ll be giving out prizes to weekly winners. The Messenger will be providing more info about the weekly contest in the very near future, so stay tuned…
…And after the football preview hits the stands, we will officially say goodbye to summer and welcome all of the Greene County youths back to school!
One of the reasons why we get excited about school is that there will be plenty of opportunities for the Messenger to shine spotlights on the positive achievements of students throughout the year. Whether it’s academics, athletics or extra-curricular activities, we know there will be plenty of good students doing good things, and we want to make sure they are recognized for their efforts.
However, we simply cannot know on our own when all the good things happen. So, we encourage all teachers, administrative staffs, parents, coaches, and yes, even the students to let us know when someone deserves a “Messenger Spotlight.”
Give us a call, send us an email, we’ll do our best to come out to your school and share the “good news” with all of our readers. For more details about how to contact us, check out the helpful info box at the bottom of this page.
And by the way, be sure to check our in-depth “Back to School” Preview on the front page NEXT WEEK, where you will find out everything you need to know about the 2009-2010 school year in Greene County…