Monday, September 21, 2015

SEPTEMBER IS THE BEST TIME IN NEW MEXICO



Sept. 6, 2015
Get ready for the best time of the year.
Autumn is the season of choice for many people, but even if you’re a spring or summer fan, if you live in southern New Mexico, you’re likely to fall for fall.
Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra conductor and music director Lonnie Klein and I recently discussed reasons for scheduling a Fourth of July-style pops concert in September.
But we both already knew the answer. Even on far drier years that this atypically rainy summer, you can always count on thunderstorms for Independence Day fiestas here.
June is technically our hottest month, but there’s a very thin-frying-pan-into-fire line between sweltering late May, June, July and August. And then there is that occasional pesky monsoon season that renders our swamp coolers pretty much useless.
August has another strike against it: It marks the beginning of the school year for K through college kids here.
In most parts of the country, Labor Day marks the opening of school. But we’ve already been through all the returning angst.
Ah, September, where is thy sting?
Usually, there isn’t any. We’ve started our classes, stocked up on school supplies, and maybe bought some new clothes. But if we’re a little late on all that, it really doesn’t matter. It’s still summer and the warm weather outfits will suffice for quite a while.
We can sit back and enjoy the best time of the year. I’ve found that kids seem a little more relaxed here during September. It’s like they know they should get extra credit for starting school early.
Should kids be allowed to stay up for fireworks until 10 p.m. on a September Sunday? Don’t worry about it being a school night, kids. Klein is offering you all unofficial permission to stay up a little late, just this once, for this special Sunday symphony  program. It could be considered a summer-extending reward for having to start school in August.
I agree. With cutbacks in some music and arts programs in the schools, maybe kids should even get extra credit for attending a symphonic event. In fact, let’s milk having to start school in the summertime for all it’s worth and play the free-turn September card every chance we get.
There are lots of reasons to celebrate September in New Mexico.
The days are still lovely and warm, sometimes even hot, but there’s usually a breeze and a nip in the morning air that will encourage you to turn off the AC and snuggle a minute longer in bed before starting your day with a little more energy. Even if El Niño extends and intensifies our monsoon season this September, it’ll be a little cooler and less muggy. We’ll be prepared to cope — and to sing and dance in the bonus rains.
And we’ll know this isn’t the swan song of outdoor good times. We can count on September and usually October for reliably enjoyable weather in a land where 70-degree Thanksgivings and even Christmases have been known to happen. And speaking of that, even the most obsessive of us don’t really have to worry about those labor-intensive holidays for a while.
If we’re compelled to focus on anything after our fave Labor Day fiestas, we can spend some quality time deciding what we’ll be this year for any of our big costume events: Halloween, RenFaire and Día de los Muertos.
And we can be confident that there will be many times — considerably more leisurely and reliably luxurious than similar moments during our 10-minute perfect springs — when we will be able to relax and reflect on why we love life in high desert country. Bright lapis blue skies. Chiles roasting outside our favorite markets. Harvest produce. Mazes and outdoor fiestas. Ambling walks and perfect-day picnics. And long, lovely moments when we can turn our faces toward the just-right, warm, mid-day sun and plan a lunch or dinner on the patio, and watch sunrises and sunsets and be glad that we’re alive. Right here. Right now.
Get ready for the best time of year.
S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at dmoore@lcsun-news.com, @derricksonmoore on Twitter and Tout, or call 575-541-5450.

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