There's no denying it. 

I can feel it each morning at 6:30 when I head out to get the newspaper, sweep the walkway and water the lawn. I can't see it, but it's there. It is coming. It's in the air. 

Fall. 

There is no stopping its march. Just a month remains of the summer of 2026. That realization is both disappointing and inspiring. 

Like pretty much everyone, I love summer. The morning swims at Sanders Beach are spectacular. The evening bike rides to Higgens Point are relaxing. Come nightfall, I like to sit on the front porch or perhaps the back patio and just listen. The sound of Jake Brakes from trucks rolling down Interstate 90 toward Coeur d'Alene is soothing.

Summer is special. It is then I feel most fortunate to call Coeur d'Alene home. Sure, there are too many people and too many cars and too much construction these days, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a great place to live. 

When we lived on Kauai, there were days my wife and I would walk barefoot on the beach in Hanalei and watch the glow of a sunset while listening to the soft splash of ocean waves. I would often ask, "Can you believe we live here?" 

I feel the same way about Coeur d'Alene. Those mornings when I seem to be the only person running on Tubbs Hill or I'm biking on the North Idaho Centennial Trail, I think to myself, "Wow. I live here. How lucky am I?" 

It's not even so much the stunning scenery and natural beauty that surrounds us that I have come to treasure.  

It's the people. 

This place is home to so many good people who are full of so much positive energy and enthusiasm that it makes the days brighter and makes me want to be better.

I love it when I'm outside my home and friends ride or walk past our house and give a shout and a wave. 

I work with intelligent, committed and dedicated people at The Press who make my job a blessing. 

Encounters with locals are priceless.

I ran into Adam Schluter, the man behind Monday Night Dinners, last Saturday at Molly B'Damn Days in Murray and we shared a hug and smiles. I came across Brent Looyenga, a brilliant photographer, at Glacier National Park last month and we laughed at our chance meeting so far from home.  

I had coffee with David Kilmer, editor of Coeur d'Alene Magazine, captain of The Sizzler and adventurer extraordinaire, the other day. The man blows me away with his passion and appreciation for life. I enjoyed coffee another morning with Nick Smoot, CEO of the Innovation Collective, who is insanely creative and encouraging. 

You can't help but want to raise your game around such people.

Which brings me to the North Idaho State Fair, which opened Friday and runs through Aug. 30. 

Yes, I love the food, the music, the rodeo, the arts and crafts, the games, the animals and everything else the fair offers, but the real reason I love going to the fair is all the familiar faces I will see. The fair is one of those events that makes you feel good. You leave happier than when you arrived. It should be required that everyone go to the fair. It is simple and sweet and so much fun.

So even though summer is winding down and Lake Coeur d'Alene will soon be too cold to swim in without a wetsuit, there is much to appreciate.

We have sunshine. 

We have each other.

We have the North Idaho State Fair. 

We are, indeed, lucky to call this place home.

And who knows. 

I may even learn to love fall. 

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Bill Buley is managing editor of The Press. He can be reached at [email protected].