Change of season both subtle, startling

Letter from the editor

As I write this, the weather men are calling for temperatures to be in the 80s for the rest of the week.

But what the weather forecasts don't say is what people have been quietly acknowledging since the recent week of cool weather: Autumn is upon us.

Despite the fact that I had to wear a coat to a few morning photo assignments the other week, I've been in denial about the fact that summer is coming to a close so soon.

It's hard to explain how we know things sometimes. Walking out of my office on Monday the breeze was blowing, the sun was shining and the weather was warm. But just as clearly as I could see the motor coaches driving south down the highway, I could feel that fall was almost here.

Not that summer coming to an end is necessarily a bad thing. Though not always the case, I would argue that September can be the best month in Montana. For the first half, you can enjoy the spoils of summer without the crowds. For the second half, the leaves are starting to change and there's a familiar bite in the air.

It's one of Montana's many quirks — amplified in the Flathead Valley like perhaps nowhere else — that summer is bewitching both for its beauty and its brevity.

I would swear that I was just shooting the Fourth of July parade a week or two ago, pondering how summer was finally here and making a list of all the things I wanted to do.

Fall may be gorgeous here, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we're not ready to let go of summer just yet.

Fall sports back again

If the cold mornings and early sunsets weren’t enough, there’s a bit of irrefutable proof fall is here. Bigfork High School sports are back.

The Eagle prides itself on our top to bottom prep sports coverage of Bigfork’s teams and this year will be no exception. As the Vikes and Vals compete in Class B for the first time in about a decade, we’ll be along for the ups and downs of another season.

This week we’ve taken a look at some of this year’s teams and their new schedules, beginning on page B1, for a taste of what BHS’s young athletes are up against this season.

—Alex Strickland