BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Editor
The days of summer are counting down and in less than a month fall will arrive (Sept. 22), hopefully bringing cooler temperatures with it. The young people have returned to school and stores are already displaying merchandise for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and in a few cases, Christmas. Fewer people are leaving on vacations and many are returning to work. But with summer 2022 almost gone, peoples’ thoughts seem to be focused on getting as much as possible out of the season before it is gone.
Labor Day 2022 was the occasion for both hanging on to the season and keeping cool in the process as many families chose to spend all or part of the day at Lakeside Park in Lake Butler. Throughout the day and into the evening families were enjoying swimming in the lake, visiting the Splash Park and picnicking under the pavilions. The playground saw much use as well, with the little ones taking advantage of the sunny weather and the company of others their age and size. Parents took the time to play as well, pushing swings and catching children at the bottom of the slides.
Summer 2022 will be one for the record books – for high temperatures, the lack of really severe storms, skyrocketing gas and food prices and people gathering together but still wary of both the COVID virus and monkey pox. But still, for many people it is their favorite season and they don’t seem to want to let it go just yet. With just a couple weeks left before it is gone, Union County residents seem to be celebrating the season before their thoughts must make the annual turn to the holiday season. But for now Summer 2022 will “rock-on” for a little longer and provide the stage for a few more happy memories of food, fun and family under the Florida sun.
