Why good tee times started to disappear

Although yesterday I failed – I did not remember the 21st day of September – today I am here to remind you that this morning we are approaching the moment of the fall equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the end to astronomical summer and the beginning of autumn, at 11:19 a.m. It’s a time of balance, when the day and the night are supposed to last a perfectly equal amount of time. However, as always seems to be the case, there’s a lot of wiggle room, especially depending on where you are in relation to the equator.

Suffice it to say that today marks a seasonal change, and with it, a change in the overall mood. Now, we start to shift away from tourist season and the crowded beach bars and toward a more thoughtful time, tilted more toward local interests and sensibilities, and start to finally find decent parking.

It’s a time we start looking back and taking stock of what we have made of the year (and years) before, as in our top story about why golf courses have been so difficult to get into in recent years. If you’re a frustrated golfer trying to catch a plum tee time, it might not have been y0ur imagination that it was more difficult to get one for the past couple of years now – it might have just been an algorithm.

Yes, the fall season is a time for reflection.

There also seems to be a lot of reflection going on about ADUs lately, as policies shift and change in response to people being people. Check out one of our top stories on an investigation turning up a pattern of add-on structures getting used illegally for short-term rentals.

The good news is that in my gardening circles, I’ve also heard this time of year also called “second spring,” offering a chance for resilience and renewal. In that spirit, I offer you a story about Mt. Helix Park and its successful native plant restoration effort where there was once only dirt. Change for the better is always possible.

But that’s enough platitudes from me for today. Happy Equinox, enjoy the respite from the punishing heat, and don’t forget to get your September planting in.

Thoughts? Opinions? Let us know what you think by emailing news@timesofsandiego.com.