September Summer Plans

A peaceful summer night in Essex County Branch Brook Park
( George Bodarky )

Title: September Summer Plans

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. We'll close out our week for our last 15 minutes of this week with the question, "What are you going to do on this beautiful summer weekend, and how is it different from what you might have done in a July or August summer weekend?" Maybe you're thinking, "Summer?" You might be questioning why we would consider this weekend in mid-September to be a summer weekend at all. After all, Labor Day has come and gone, kids are back in school, and many of you fall enthusiasts have brought your sweaters out of storage happily. Folks, summer doesn't begin until next Sunday, September 22. Therefore, this weekend is the last full weekend of summer. With this gorgeous weather forecast, I'm sure many of you will be enjoying some traditional summer activities over the comer coming days. The question is, in this weather, do you have things that you do? Do you have like September things that you do that are different from the July and August and late June summer things that you do? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, call or text.

Despite the hurrah for fall that typically picks up around this time of year for so many people, a recent piece in The New York Times reminded our Brain Lehrer Show team that September is, in fact, a summer month. In fact, the subjects interviewed in the story would argue that September may be the best month of summer. After all, June, July and August can be hideously humid, as we all know, to the point where outdoor activities are much less pleasurable. Those who work or reside in vacation spots along the East Coast can finally enjoy their surroundings in September, maybe ironically, because it's so nice, with fewer tourists taking up space.

Jayma Cardoso, the founder and creative director of The Surf Lodge out in Montauk, savors this time of year because of the empty beaches, saying in the article, "You can walk for miles without bumping into a person." Listeners, what do you like to do on September summer weekends? Do you have any traditions for yourself different than what you might do on July and August summer weekends? 212-433-WNYC, and I'm going to throw in one addendum or additional question here. What's your favorite month of the year? Do you have a favorite month of the year? A lot of people might say thanksgiving to Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's. Love the holidays.

I happen to be a summer person. I like July and August just fine, thank you. Although, this is, of course, very beautiful. Do you have a favorite month of the year? What is it and why? 212-433-WNYC. There's our two-part question. One, what might you do this beautiful summer weekend, different here in September, than you would do in the rest of summer? What's your favorite time of the year? Month of the year? What is your favorite month of the year for weather or any other reason? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, and we'll take your calls right after this.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Some favorite month of the year texts coming in. Listener writes, "October, the colors." Here's another one for-- Oh, October is winning. "October is always deliciously wondrous to me," listener writes. "The orange sunset skies anticipate the nocturnal revelry that make me fly up into the night in search of celtic black fire. The ancient flames make me swoon with delight." This person not only loves October, they're a writer. "Every moon dance and incantation is a sacred journey closer to Halloween. October surges through my heart like lightning to a rod." Wow, so there's a couple for October. Lisa in Red Bank. You love this month, right, Lisa?

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Lisa: I do love September, but October is my favorite. I like September because I live right by the water in New Jersey, and it's now all the beaches are free for the locals, and the tourists have gone home. I'm going to Sandy Hook with the dogs today.

Brian Lehrer: Nice, Lisa. Thank you, Jared in Rockaway Beach, maybe something similar. Hi, Jared. You're on WNYC.

Jared: How you doing? Yes, you know, this is the best sailing month of the year, and I love sailing, so this is the best time of year to go sailing. You don't have the afternoon thunder showers and stuff that you get in the heat of summer, and the wind is great, and the weather's warm and it's beautiful. Less people out on the water. Love it so much, I started a business doing it [laughs].

Brian Lehrer: Ha. The month for sailing, says Jared in Rockaway Beach. Here's one, "In September, I enjoy hunting for mushrooms," listener writes, "as woods are a bit less humid and buggy as previous months." Be careful out there if you're mushrooming, but I know people go mushrooming. In fact, we've got two separate texts saying people enjoy hunting for mushrooms, so there's that. Zeke in Park Slope, you're at WNYC. Hi, Zeke.

Zeke: Hi, sir. How are you? It's always a pleasure talking to you. I'm the guy that called a few weeks ago about the drowning. On the positive side, because I'm such a water person, I'm going fishing with a bunch of friends for porgy fishing on a boat in our beautiful waterways here of New York. Then in the coming weeks, I'm going to be going striper fishing. People love to fish, striper fishing is like lemmings for us. We go nuts. Finally I'm going to be scuba diving the Rockaways to help clean up the Rockaway waterways as well. This is an exciting month for me. Porgy fishing, yes. Let's go for these [laughs].

Brian Lehrer: All right. Go find, go catch those porgies, Zeke. Thank you very much. Listener writes, "Once September comes around, my wife wants everything pumpkin. Ice cream, coffee, candles, et cetera. For me to get her into, to get into her good graces, when I do something wrong, I make sure I go to Trader Joe's and stock up on anything, everything pumpkin." Yes. I noticed that even in August, the Halloween and other pumpkin-related things were bursting already in stores and restaurants. Jeanine in Toronto, you're on WNYC. Hi, Jeanine.

Jeanine: Hey, Brian. Formerly of Park Slope, currently in Harlem. I'm attending my first as a TV and film critic, Toronto Film Festival. I've been here since September 3rd and I'm still staying until the 14th. The festival ends on the 15th and it's been amazing. I usually do the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, but being able to cover this festival in real life has been spectacular and I'm hoping that it will be a yearly process. I got to meet the cast of The Piano Lesson, talk to Danielle Deadwyler, did my first red carpet interview, and it's all on the diversity initiative to support Black critics because we need more Black television and film critics, so, yay.

Brian Lehrer: Yay. Jeanine, where can people see your stuff?

Jeanine: Oh, my blog is called Vis- It's with a V, V-I-S, as in Sam, Able, A-B-L-E, Black woman. I'm on instagram. It's two N's. VisAbleBlackwoman. Thanks for the shout out. I saw some really great films, a lot of stuff about immigration, a lot of political stuff. There were some Ukrainian folks who are protesting some films. I have a lot of coverage about a lot of films that were centering Black and brown folks. Thanks, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, Jeanine. All right, so there's another September thing that I didn't know about. A lot of people probably didn't know about the Toronto Film Festival happens this time of year. Text message on a favorite month. Listener writes, "I love the month of May for the awakening of springtime and hope." Here's Iris in Mamaroneck. Iris, you're on WNYC. Hi, Iris.

Iris: Hi. Thank you so much. September is my favorite month. I love the fact that there's a change during the day. You walk out with a sweater and it's still very pleasant but a little cool. Then you get to enjoy the change during the day. You take off your sweater, and then later on you get that nice transformation again when it becomes a little cool. I also love to take longer walks because there are fewer bugs, and you don't get as sweated up as you do in the summer. My personal reason for loving September is that I loved school.

As much as I loved summer activities, I was always excited to start school again. I don't know if this was shared by many people. I always saw school in September as a new beginning. For me, it still remains, and I'm an old lady now. It remains my favorite month. It represents a new beginning for me, and I tend to make resolutions in September as opposed to January.

Brian Lehrer: Iris, thank you very much. Yes. Well, new school year, the Jewish year calendar also, right. Rosh Hashanah is September typically or very early October. That is very nicely put. Yes, even if it's-- she talks about the light layers. You know, one of the things that's so nice about September for so many people is even if it's 80 in the daytime, it's cooler at night. That transition from day to night and back to day feels good. Right? Another text message. By the way, September and October are winning big time on the many text messages that we're getting about people's favorite month.

Just for some variety, listener writes, "June, favorite month, daylight hours increase the most. It's gay pride month. Least favorite is for mid-August through September as the daylight hours decrease and takes a toll on my emotions." I'm more like this person, personally. I don't like when it starts getting darker earlier. I love May and June and that blossoming into the warmth, personally. Richie in Los Angeles is going to be our last caller, reminding everybody that September out there is not what September is here. Richie, you're on WNYC. Hi, we have 20 seconds for you.

Richie: Hey, Brian. Two years after moving to New York, I can't quit yet. Yes, September is the hottest month here, so it's the best month to go to the beach, stay cool. I personally love November because, as they call it, spooky season. It's a fun, silly holiday that everybody can get behind, non-denominational.

Brian Lehrer: Richie, thank you very, very much. Yes, this is the hot time of year out in southern California. Thanks to all of you who called and texted with your favorite month and what you like to do in September in particular. That's the Brian Lehrer Show for today, produced by Mary Croke, Lisa Allison, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond and Esperanza Rosenbaum. Zach Gottehrer-Cohen edits our national politics podcast. Megan Ryan is the head of live radio. Juliana Fonda and Milton Ruiz at the audio controls. Have a great weekend, and stay tuned for Alison.

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