We wrote about a month ago regarding some of the historic moments that have occurred during this past summer.

Of course, the attempted assassination of a former President and the decision to stand down and not run for a second term by the sitting President — and the surging political energy that has emanated from that decision as a result — are the two biggest national stories that defined this summer, and remain two of the biggest developing stories still as we head into the teeth of Presidential Election season.

Locally, it has been a much less chaotic and momentous state of affairs; and while that can be a refreshing change of pace from the seemingly always intensely charged national political landscape, it is not always necessarily calm in a good way.

For one thing, we could do with a little less calmness when it comes to the lack of contractor interest in repairing the Washington Bridge, as we’d like to be able to visit our friends in the East Bay and Southeastern Massachusetts without sitting in a parking lot on I-195 East regardless of the time of day. It will remain to be seen if the state can assemble a bid package that doesn’t scare off every potential bidder within a 200-mile radius and give us a timeline for repair that even approaches a timely manner.

We can certainly do with more of the same calmness we’ve luckily had when it comes to severe weather events though, particularly as we remain smack dab in the middle of a hurricane season that was predicted to be worse than normal averages. As of yet, we’ve avoided calamitous storms and flooding, although it has rained buckets several times; as if providing a reminder that it only takes a couple of those storms happening back-to-back to cause real issues. Keep the umbrellas handy as we head into fall.

And, of course, the calm of summertime is now replaced with the return of kids to school and student athletes to fields, baseball diamonds, and indoor gymnasiums throughout the state. We look forward to seeing what incredible feats these talented youngsters can accomplish this autumn.

Certainly, while we will miss the calm morning summer breezes, beautiful beachside afternoons, and agreeable evenings spent on back decks with family and friends that define the easygoing and slower pace of summer, the increased activity of a fall political season kicking into high gear and the ramp up for another winter provide a nice jolt to the system and reminds us why the shortest season in New England is always worth the wait.