Publisher’s Letter: The Timelessness of the Seasons

The elk are bugling and the smell of wildfire is still in the air as I write this. A few weeks back the snow set the stage for fall and the bugling elk means fall mating season is here. It’s hard to believe I’m writing about fall already. I say it every year — “where did the summer go?” But this year it’s especially difficult to pinpoint when the summer started and when it ended.

The Pandemic reared its ugly head during Spring break and that’s about all I remember. I spent the rest of the spring in isolation with my family and then in the summer — you guessed it, more isolation. All the while, working tirelessly to keep North Forty News going during, arguably, one of its most challenging and yet essential times when we continued to bring our readers public health-related news from local, county and state government sources.

Now, school has started — virtually. Honestly, it feels like summer never happened.

Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be writing about fall.

Usually, at this time of year, North Forty News and New SCENE would be writing about music, peach, and chili pepper festivals, the best green Chile, the best Corn mazes. This year they’re mostly all virtual or canceled. The restaurants can’t even run at full scale. It’s been a very strange year.

But good stuff is happening. Many restaurants in Old Town Fort Collins have moved their seating outside and once again, you can hear laughing and conversation in Old Town Square. Be sure to check out our calendar of events at calendar.scenenoco.com or take a look at our comprehensive calendar in each edition.

Since I’m a “glass half full” type of person, it hasn’t been all bad. Personally, I have a lot of positive life-long memories from the past few months including some extraordinary times with my young sons along with learning experiences. We are all doing the best we can to get through this. And many of my friends have begun engaging in deeper conversations. We’ve learned to have a new appreciation for being healthy, helping others, and feeling a part of the community.

Wait… I’m supposed to be writing about fall.

Here’s my suggestion. Get in the car, preferably with a friend or with your family. Go for a long drive. Experience beautiful places not so far from home like the San Juan Range in Southern Colorado. Enjoy what our state has to offer. You won’t find many if any, festivals this fall but I guarantee the Aspens will still change color and offer a timeless and majestically powerful view of the transition from fall to winter.

And if you need some advice about how to deal with stress… check out our article in this edition about stress therapy.

Starting in this edition we will begin coverage of the November elections with a few OP-ED letters from both sides of the aisle. And in our October and November editions, we plan to provide useful information to help our readers make informed decisions on their ballots.

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Blaine Howerton