Because my Dad’s birthday was September 7th, we usually lumped his celebration into a Labor Day weekend bash. Never my favorite holiday, it was essentially a time of wrapping up our summer lives at the lake and switching gears to fall in to the school mode. But having a party at the lake surrounded by cousins and birthday food made it less painful to say goodbye to summer.

We spent hours closing up the cabin, removing the dock, cleaning out the refrigerator and cupboards to deter mice from taking up residence in our old dwelling. The cabin, built by my grandparents in 1920, was nothing but a shell with uneven floors and a hodgepodge of furnishings. But, before we replaced it with a new cabin, we had years of fun make lifetime memories in that simple, no-frills structure.

Despite the jobs we needed to complete on Labor Day weekend, we made time for a party. My Dad and Uncle Harold would launch the old fishing boat and head to the fishing weeds just off our dock. There they pulled in one lunker after another and we knew a late night fish fry was in order. We kids made sure to get in a good long swim. After which we played a game of tag on the hillside, walked to the nearby park for ice cream and candy and had one last beach fire. Best S’mores of the season.

Fall was here and we knew it. The rasping cicadas, the flocking seagulls, the yellowing leaves, the early nightfall and crisp evening air reminded us that summer, sadly, had come to a close.

Once we made the transition and immersed ourselves in school, the shorter September days were a pleasant change. Hard to believe that in less than a week, we had adjusted to routine and discipline. But a little part of us longed for the sunny days of summer, toes in the sand, a jump off the dock and the Labor Day wrap-up months away.

EMPTY THE FRIDGE OVEN OMELET

4 strips bacon, fried
4 sausages, cooked
1 tablespoon butter
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup green, red or yellow peppers, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or any seasoned salt
2-1/2 cups shredded cheese, any combination

Chop cooked bacon and sausage into small pieces. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onion, peppers and shallot. Sauté until tender. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk, seasoning and 2 cups cheese. Stir in bacon and sausage pieces and sautéed vegetables. Pour mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

ANGLER’S SECRET

1/2 cup milk
1 egg

1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, combine milk and egg. Whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Dip fish fillets in liquid. Then dredge in flour mixture. Fry in hot oil with butter added for flavor. As fish are frying, sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, to taste.

SOUR CREAM RAISIN BIRTHDAY CAKE

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup raisins

In a mixer bowl, beat butter,sugar, eggs and sour cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add orange juice and dry ingredients to butter mixture in mixing bowl and beat at low speed until blended, for one minute. Stir in raisins and pour batter into a greased and floured 9 by 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When cooled, frost with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.