For the first two weeks of September in Athens, Georgia, we can expect a transition to early fall weather, with an average daytime high of 84 degrees and nighttime lows dropping to a comfortable 60 to 65 degrees — all of which will be accompanied by sunshine, high humidity, and a chance of passing afternoon thunderstorms.
Athens is a place many Georgians will be on Labor Day — that pre-fall holiday that will be the focal point for tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of fans watching on television when Georgia hosts Tennessee State in its opening game. And, of course, a sold-out Sanford Stadium of 93,033.
I grew up in the dreadful heat of summer without a ceiling fan. I have never liked hot weather. I have driven a tractor all day long during summer’s peak heat, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. I practiced and played football in stifling heat, but I could do without September games. So, I never took the position that growing up in the South that I got “used to the heat.”
Georgia’s victory over Yale on Oct. 12,1929, the dedication of Sanford Stadium, was a hot and humid day, which heavily favored the Southern Bulldogs as they upset the Bulldogs of New Haven, Connecticut.
Yale unwittingly enhanced the UGA cause when the team dressed out in its traditional blue stockings that reached their knees. The team looked terrific in warmups, but when those heavy woolen stockings became sodden with perspiration, that heightened Georgia’s advantage.
It can be hot during early October, but better weather — cooler temperatures — is what we all look forward to. In addition to football, there is the magnificent change of the leaves, fall fly fishing, and the harvest scenes.
On occasion in falls past, owing to football travel, there have been opportunities to visit other states in the Southeast and the Midwest. Across America, there are harvest scenes like what we experience in our own backyard.
Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas are among the states that underscore the harvest scenes as we do. It is the same with New England. Agriculture and related industries contribute significantly to the U. S. gross domestic product, right at $1.5 trillion dollars. I will always hold a soft spot in my life for farmers and agriculture.
A few facts about September: The hottest recorded temperature on earth for our ninth month was 127 degrees Fahrenheit on Sept. 1,2022, set at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, California.
The summer is a great time to enjoy a hot dog. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans usually eat roughly 7 billion hotdogs, which would stretch from New York to London and back 25 times. If you haven’t had a hot dog lately, there is time to help keep that statistic intact.
The first Labor Day parade took place in New York City on September 5,1882, when 10,000 workers marched for better hours.
Most of us down South probably don’t know about the “No White Rule.” There once was a rule against wearing white after Labor Day for the wealthy elite to signal they were back in town from summer resorts and a renewal of city life.
This day became a national law when President Grover Cleveland’s stroke of the pen made it a federal law in 1894 following a major railway strike in Chicago.
For October for fly fishing advocates, it is a welcome month, as the trout return to the Chattahoochee. Standing in Georgia’s most romantic river and seeing a three-pound trout take in a tiny fly, dart away with fluid alacrity, and leap out of the water, intent on making a fool out of you, and eventually succumbing to a dipnet is one of the richest experiences there is.
The good news is that there are many Georgians who can enjoy that opportunity with just a little effort. And not only is that a cool experience, but you are also cool and comfortable as you do it.