One of our local paddlers coined the phrase "the Kayakers' Summer" for the period starting on Labor Day and extending until the first really hard, cold weather sets in. Sometimes that was by Halloween; sometimes as late as mid-December. This year, the Summer is going strong here in New Jersey. Did two Sunday paddles in a row out of Fort Mott State Park on the tidal Delaware south of Wilmington DE, with blue skies, golden sunshine, light breezes, temperatures in the high 50s, and the oak forest foliage a gorgeous mix of various shades of brown, with a foreground of golden marsh grass and Phragmites. An adult bald eagle watching us go by. Fabulous paddling, with us slowing down as we approached the launch site on the return, in order to not make the trip end yet. Let's see how long the Summer lasts this year; so far, it's been GREAT!