A strange thing happens in Michigan, and I think much of the Midwest, after Labor Day. Everyone begins to mentally prepare for the oncoming winter. In much earlier days, those who didn't prepare went hungry when the inadequate food supplies ran out. I remember getting a trunk load of potatoes to store in the fruit cellar for the winter. So maybe the absence of vacationers on the lake after Labor Day is steeped in old genes. At any rate, we were happy to share the beach and the neighborhood with the other dozen or so people who lived nearby. There are some wonderful days in October, but few people around to enjoy them.