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Editorial-Autumn is upon us

Autumn is upon us as we watch the fall colours overtake the trees and the leaves fall to the ground.

With the fresh snow on the mountains and the rain in the Valley, it’s hard to believe it was just a couple of weeks ago that we were still experiencing 20-plus degree weather.

Autumn is upon us as we watch the fall colours overtake the trees and the leaves fall to the ground.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means the onset of winter.

Are you ready?

It’s time to switch over to winter tires, pull out the shovels and snowblowers, and swap out your summer wardrobe for cozy sweaters, hats, and mitts.

Say goodbye to cold beverages enjoyed on a patio and hello to a warm cup of cocoa by the fire.

Turn the furnace on, pack up the patio furniture, and lace up those winter boots.

Soon there will be an influx of people in town looking for work and a place to rent.

The shoulder season doesn’t last long and locals and out-of-towners alike are already getting excited for Fernie’s best and brightest season.

As we say farewell to summer activities such as golf and mountain biking, the falling snow brings with it all of winter’s great activities.

It’s like the Valley awakens from a summer slumber when snowmobiles and skis are brought out from the garage.

Before we know it Halloween will be here and once the trick-or-treaters are gone the countdown begins.

We all wait impatiently until there is just enough snow on the ground for the ski hill to open.

Opening day at the ski hill is always a frenzied but enjoyable affair.

Skiers and snowboarders of all abilities racing down all parts of the mountain.

The opening of the ski hill also brings in plenty of tourists as well as the weekenders.

Although the town is busy it is a small price to pay for living in a place many people wish to visit.

As much as I love summer, I always get a burst of excitement when I think about the ground being covered in snow, even though we have to shovel it.

Although my children have long outgrown making snowmen with the freshly fallen snow, the memories of such times give me great joy and I can occasionally coax them into a snowball fight that I am sure to lose.

It’s always a bit sad to say farewell to summer and the brief fall we get here in the Elk Valley, but I’m ready for winter. Bring on the snow!

 



Andrea Horton

About the Author: Andrea Horton

Andrea began her career in the newspaper industry in 2007 as a reporter with The Free Press in Fernie, B.C. In 2017, she relocated to Salmon Arm to work as the publisher of the Salmon Arm Observer.
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