Welcome to September and the end of yet another great summer in the Triad! The fall is not quite here yet, but already people are gearing up for festivals, holidays and the good times of the upcoming seasons. Evidence of this was the Labor Day Flea Market held each year in Hillsville, Va.

Welcome to summer in the Carolinas! This is the type of summer I grew up with many years ago with most days staying relatively pleasant temperaturewise, and the ever-changing flower scene always amazing in presentation. The Triad is certainly not hard on the eyes, and as we near August the arts community is humming right along.

Greetings to you all. The last time I saw you was in April. What a spring we had! I had a wonderful mini vacation during the month of May which gave me time to catch up on my own personal "favorite things": couch potato sessions, reading and seeing movies - in a theater. On the subject of the first, I watched along with the rest of the country, the annual "American Idol" finale.