I grew up in the tourist industry. Memorial Day through Labor Day started and finished the busiest time of year for us. It was tourist season, summer time, school break, taking folks through the caverns, working in the campground, and best of all taking tourists on horseback trail rides through the mountains where we lived at Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. Could not get better than that for me.

I have used this reasoning to help understand my sadness at the end of summer and beginning of fall. The season is over, everyone has gone home, it will now be quiet I would think to myself. For years we rented the horses for our livery and they too had to leave. This only added to that empty feeling inside.

We sold the caverns way back in 1976. One would think I’d be over that feeling of summer being over. Guess that’s not going to happen. What I have learned is to enjoy the remnants of summer fun and family visits as I work to get things back in order after all the family visit fun.

As I was cleaning up after three weeks of great family times, I found myself taking photographs of all the evidence of the fun we enjoyed together. It made me smile and filled my heart with thankfulness.

Can you can see what I mean with these fun, silly photographs? All the evidence of family summer fun?

I hope as this summer winds down you too have some remnants of family fun around your house as well. Good by summer, fare thee well and…

Happy Labor Day weekend to you, dear reader.