For me, September has always been the start of the new year rather than January. This notion probably has a lot to do with the beginning of school — at least when I attended, it always started after Labor Day. This feeling, however, comes from more than the start of a new semester. The weather is still warm, but summer is basically over and fall just a few weeks away. The anticipation of crisp mornings and cooler days brings excitement for the upcoming time spent afield with shotgun in hand and dogs ahead working the field edges for quail.

To be quite specific, opening day of dove season is the real New Year’s Day of hunting season. You will see many Columbians dressed in browns, greens, and camo getting ice and drinks at gas stations or perhaps going to barbecue places for lunch before the hunt. Some are seeing each other for the first time and catching up since the beginning of summer, when folks were finally free to travel and enjoy a vacation.

Also, if you belong to a deer club or own some property, September is the time to get things ready. Roads need mowing and food plots planting. Deer stands must be checked and worked on. I usually go through a couple of cans of wasp spray every September eradicating these stinging demons from the corners and crevices of many a deer stand. Usually, one wasp gets overlooked, resulting in a mad descent, with a few stings on the way down, and quick run back to the truck.

September ushers in the start of football season. Hopes are high, and this year, if the Delta variant does not wreak havoc, games will be attended in full force with pent-up excitement at a fever pitch. The Gamecocks have a new coach and the Tigers another strong team, so with September’s start, all is new and all fans can dream.

September may be the ninth month of the year, but to me, the good months begin at this time and roll along until August, which really should be the last month. August is hot, and most of the fun of summer is over – they don’t call them “dog days” for nothing. So, welcome to the “New Year,” and I hope you have a good and prosperous one!

Sincerely,

Henry Clay