CAMDEN — Well, it looks like fall weather has finally arrived in Ouachita County.
Hot summer weather persisted, lasting further into October than we can remember during recent years.
But the cooler temperatures did finally get here and for the first time this season, Friday night games were played in what could be considered “football weather.”
The Weather Channel is predicting that the thermometer will be back in the 80s for the next several days, but the nights will offer us cooler sleeping temperatures.
We’re not complaining about the warm weather, fully realizing we’ll be grumbling soon enough when the pleasant fall conditions give way to those cold winter days.
The unseasonably warm spell has given us a little extra time to prepare for the coming cold season. Are you ready for the days when balmy fall days will be memories and we’ll be dealing with frigid temperatures?
Change your furnace filters and, if you have a wood burning fireplace or wood stove, don’t start the first fire until the chimney has been professionally cleaned. Check with your insurance company to see if it offers financial assistance or discounts for professional chimney sweeps.
And when the time comes to move the clocks back, remember that it’s the ideal time to change batteries in all of your smoke detectors.
One last note while we’re on the subject of the weather: The recent warm temperatures and low humidity have left things pretty dry and crinkly. There is not a burn ban in Ouachita County but in travels last week, we noticed a burn ban sign in a nearby county.
So, as the old police show used to say: Let’s be careful out there.