This is the last issue of September. And, I predict that your October is going to fly right by and before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I’m sure you have already noticed that Christmas merchandise has been out in big box stores since three weeks ago – unfortunately. Can’t we get through pumpkins, scarecrows and cornucopias before we see Santa? Rhetorical question.

I have been out of town for almost half of September. Every five to six years we take a long family vacation which usually involves hiking. This year we went to the Grand Tetons National Park and stayed in Jackson Hole. Three of my four children made the trip and we put in more than 30 miles of hiking. My youngest daughter hiked every mile with us and ran a marathon on our first full day there. My son who is a law enforcement officer wrote on Facebook afterward that it was the first time he came back from vacation and had to tighten his belt. It was really like a fitness vacation with some wildlife thrown in to include both bull and cow moose, marmot and more.