It's hard to believe it's September already. Yep, those lazy days on the lake are coming to an end. My camping gear has made its way to the top of that dusty garage shelf and hosing off the last bits of sand from my tires is still on my never-ending to-do list. There's that annoying melancholy feeling in the air - don't you think? And in the words of country singer Alan Jackson, that feeling has got to be ‘Summertime Blues.'

But unlike the song suggests, I've found a cure to this bummer of a phenomenon. Curious what it is? It's simple - reminisce about all the fun you had this summer! Here's my checked-off list of great things that I got to do.

• Went kayaking on the Little Spokane River. Paddling down this waterway is always super peaceful, especially in the early morning hours. Both times I went this year, I saw cool birds like Osprey and Great Blue Heron. People even say they see moose sometimes! (By the way, it's a blast to paddle there all the way through October!)
  
• Spent some time at the lake. Since Spokane has 76 of them regionally, each year I try to get to a lake I've never been to before. Boating on Lake Roosevelt and fishing at Medical Lake are some staples of mine, but discovering Williams Lake this year sure was a lot of fun. (Next time I'll be sure to stop into Klink's On the Lake for a delicious fish dinner!)
  
• Sipped and savored some Spokane wines. If you're anything like me, you enjoy a good glass of wine. Taking the time to check out a couple of Spokane's local wineries like Barrister, Caterina and Overbluff Cellars is always a treat. And good news! Most of the 17 local wineries are open year round.
  
• Enjoyed the great outdoors at Mount Spokane. Sure, the mountain is a great place for skiing and snowshoeing, but if you ask me, it's the perfect place for nature lovers too! A friend and I packed a picnic and hiked some of its beautiful mountain trails. We even searched out a couple geocaches along the way!
  
• Cheered for my team at the baseball stadium. There's nothing more American than sitting in the stands at a local baseball game with a hotdog in one hand and glove in the other - especially if it's the 4th of July! Cheering on the Spokane Indians as they made their way to league playoffs was definitely a summer highlight.

See, I already feel way better. Now I'm getting anxious for pumpkin picking this fall at Green Bluff and fresh powder at the mountains! But before I get ahead of myself, what adventures did you have this summer in Spokane?