The Slice: Season four shouldn’t surprise

Fall is still a couple of weeks away.

But this weekend traditionally marks the unofficial end of summer. And you know what that means.

Yes, not long after this harbinger of autumn many disloyal Inland Northwesterners will begin to wring their hands and fret about winter’s approach.

Well, I’m sick of it. Folks, when you sign up for four seasons that’s how many you get. Not one. Not three. Four.

To more fully express my feelings on this matter, I have taken the liberty of tweaking the lyrics to Merle Haggard’s country classic “The Fightin’ Side of Me.”

Feel free to sing along.

I hear people talkin’ bad

About the way we have to live here in this region.

H arpin’ on the snow we get

An’ gripin’ ’bout the way things oughta be.

An’ I don’t mind ’em wimpin’ out

An’ cryin’ ’bout the weather we know is comin’.

But when they’re runnin’ down my climate, man

They’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

Runnin’ down the way of life

Our plowin’ men have fought and tried to keep.

If you don’t love it, leave it.

Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’.

If you’re runnin’ down my climate, man

You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

I read about some squirrely guy

Who claims he just don’t believe in shovelin’.

And I wonder just how long

The rest of us can count on movin’ free.

They love our lakes and lilacs

But they preach about some warmer way of livin’.

When they’re running down my climate, hoss

They’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

Today’s Slice question: How much time would you save by paying zero attention to football?