I love September for so many reasons. Labor day weekend, and the diminished crowds afterwards in my beloved Sierra Nevadas. Late September brings the first day of deer hunting season. The Autumnal equinox brings warm-hot afternoons and rapidly cooling evenings and cold nights (well, here at 5,000 feet it does). Oktoberfest–say no more. It’s time for delicious Marzenbiers, hard apple ciders, and schnapps. And last but not least, the return of the Starbucks PSL (okay not really).

I’ve always loved September, starting when I was a kid. September meant back to school–yes, I was one of those weird kids that actually looked forward to going back to school to see my friends. And when I got to high school my football team was very busy with after school practice, Friday night games, and all the parties and beer drinking after the games.

When I was a student at Chico state September meant, for the first time in my life, I was going to experience all the beautiful fall foliage and changing colors of various trees. I’ll never forget the first time I walked out of my favorite little cafe on campus, right next to Chico creek, and say all the beautiful leaves on the trees on campus. I was frozen in wonderment.

For the last 15 years September means deer hunting with Scott and the rest of the Roseville railroaders. Opening weekend at Jimmy’s ranch is almost always miserably hot but I don’t care–I look forward to it every year and I can’t wait to see my friends.

September is also a reminder that dry-fly fishing season is almost over. After Labor day weekend all the vacationers go home and I’m left with glorious uncrowded rivers to fish. And September is a reminder that this hot weather is just about over–by early-October the 90 degree temperatures are gone.

And September is a gentle nudge that the best is yet to come.