Thursday, August 16, 2018

Summer Doldrums

It didn't happen this year.

There's a phenomenon in the news business.  Different people call it different things.  I refer to it as the "Summer Doldrums."  Things slow down quite a bit.  The kids are out of school.  No high school sports.  Politics doesn't pick up until after Labor Day.  Government and the courts slow down.  Vacations...  You get the idea.

This year, and this summer have been non stop activity, including some horrible weather, a presidential visit, the Catholic Church grand jury report, an up tick in crime, an assortment of fires, construction, the Little League World Series is starting,  the incredible journey of the Tunkhannock girls softball team, and so on.

I never complain about the Summer Doldrums.  There is always more than enough to keep us busy.  This year, the news cycle has been kicked up a notch, and not just on the local level.

Ronald Reagan spent most of his quiet  summers at his ranch in Santa Barbara.  Bush 41 went to Kennebunkport, Clinton summered in Massachusetts.  Bush 43 headed to the ranch in Texas.  Obama was another who loved New England.  Even though President Trump is hanging out at his resorts in Florida and New Jersey, he is still making plenty of news.  That is probably the new normal. 

If that wasn't enough...  Hawaiians are running from lava.  California is burning up.  The Thailand cave rescue, Genoa bridge collapse...

It will only get busier as we head in to the fall.  High school football is back.  Schools, colleges and universities start fall semesters, the Bloomsburg fair, the election, courts and government become more active.  While September and October are known as dry months, we have been hit by some nasty hurricanes and tropical storms during those months.

We didn't get a breather in the summer of 2018, and that's okay.  My heart goes out to those who have suffered losses during the flash flooding, and I'll write more about that in the days to come.