Because school has started and college football usually kicks off its season at the end of August/start of September, Labor Day serves as the unofficial end of summer. However, fall doesn’t properly start until September 23, which means the summer heat will continue for at least the next month. So don’t be fooled by terms like “fall semester” when the more accurate description would be “end of summer.”

This should be done at all times, but it’s especially important around Labor Day since the weather tends to stay in the 80s and 90s. Labor Day weekends typically involve get-togethers on par with Memorial Day or Independence Day, but since it’s later in the summer, Labor Day weekends tend to be hotter and longer.

And don’t make the mistake of staying indoors; even with the air conditioning cranked down to the 60s, you can still suffer dehydration indoors.

Because September serves as the summer-to-fall transition month, outdoor grilling will continue being practiced for the next few weeks. As such, it’s important to keep practicing grill discipline.

Grill discipline covers a variety of practices. Whether you’re cooking with gas, electricity, or charcoal, never leave the grill unattended. Use one set of containers for raw food and a separate, clean container for the cooked food, and never mix the two together. Clean the grill as you finish cooking; it will be easier to remove any food particles gathered on the grill and allow for additional food to be cooked without incorporating any of the residue from the previous food.

If you have a lawn, keep it cut and maintained for Labor Day. You’re doing this for two reasons: one, it looks nice, which can be a source of pride and/or relief if a neighbor decides to host a Labor Day cookout. And second, with the seasonal changes approaching, maintaining your lawn and yard may change considerably for the coming months.

If you’re lucky, Labor Day will present one of the last opportunities to do a deep cutting and cleaning for a while. For example, if the weather becomes cooler and drier, your lawn may stop looking green and require less attention from a lawn mower. Likewise, your time spent on yard work may involve more raking and bagging of leaves.

And if you don’t have a lawn, take the opportunity to clean out your home a bit. It doesn’t have to be a deep spring cleaning-style muck out, but it wouldn’t hurt to straighten the place up before the holiday season starts.

Farewell to Summer

If you’re really a big fan of summer, Labor Day weekend allows you to spend a little more time enjoying the weather before the fall craziness arrives. And arrive it shall; once Labor Day ends, Halloween and fall items will invade the local stores and herald the start of the fall/winter holidays seasons. Time will start to move faster, too, with events and holidays becoming more prominent and the last quarter of the year gets going. So have fun this Labor Day and get ready for things to get interesting!