You Know Summer Is Ending In South Dakota When This Happens

The Midwest Has a Secret End-of-Summer Ritual

There's a strange moment every August when summer suddenly feels like it's running out of time. The weather is still hot. The days are still long-ish. Nobody is ready to talk about fall yet. But then you see the first "Back to School" sign, and suddenly everyone realizes summer is on borrowed time.

The Back-to-School Countdown Is Real

For families across South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa, August means school supplies are starting to appear in shopping carts. Pencils, notebooks, backpacks, clothes and folders somehow turn into a full shopping expedition. And there's always that one school supply that nobody can find.

You can buy 400 pencils, but good luck finding the exact shade of blue folder the teacher requested. Mr. Deane, 9th grade History, I'm talking about you.

Parents Are Ready. Kids Are Not.

There's a pretty good chance parents and kids have completely different feelings about the school year approaching. Parents may be looking forward to getting everyone back on a schedule. Kids, meanwhile, are trying to figure out how to convince everyone that summer vacation should be extended another six weeks like it's Groundhog Day.

The phrase "I can't believe summer is almost over" is about to become very popular.

There's Still Time for One Last Summer Adventure

The good news is that August isn't over yet. There's still time for a trip to the lake, an evening at the pool, a backyard barbecue, a county fair, or a spontaneous drive somewhere you've never been.

In fact, those last few weeks of summer might be the perfect time to do something you've been putting off all season.

Don't Let Summer Sneak Away

Summer has a funny way of disappearing. One minute you're celebrating the Fourth of July, and the next you're staring at a calendar wondering where the last month went.

So before the backpacks come out and the alarm clocks start going off again, make the most of the time that's left. Because around here, summer doesn't really end when the weather gets cold. It ends when someone says, "What time do we have to leave for school tomorrow?"

And once you hear that, there's no going back.