Remember that "back-to-school" commercial from a few years ago that featured a dad dancing through an office-supply store, joyously filling his shopping cart with pencils, notebooks and anything else his kids might need for school — while said kids looked as if they wanted to curl up and die?

And the background music was "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?"

It's back-to-school day Monday here in Washington County, and while your kids might have mixed emotions about that (or they might even be as despondent as the dejected urchins in the commercial), in many ways the summer-to-autumn transition really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Summer will linger a little longer, but we've had a taste of cooler temperatures — and even on the hot days, the air is a little less brutal than the intense heat that marked July. The orchards and farm markets are brimming with fresh produce. High school stadiums are being prepared for Friday night football. Nighttime already harbors a hint of a chill.

Lisa says goodbye:It's been a long, eventful journey. Thanks for traveling with me

Tim weighs in:Scholars validate long-held belief: Homework = bad

And you just know that stepping outside without being slammed with that sauna sensation will feel pretty good.

This is the time to savor all those enchanting elements of the season. To plot out a few more weekend day trips. To enjoy a few more meals al fresco. To revel in cooler outdoor mornings. To work in all those things you thought you'd like to do this summer.

To plan new adventures or just take a little time to soak in the quiet of your own backyard.

And really, there's even a level of excitement in going back to school — remember wondering which classes you'd have with your besties? How many new friends you might meet? Socializing with your BFFs and anticipating the year's projects, parties, dances, ballgames?

The back-to-school frenzy will settle into a bit of a rhythm pretty quickly. And if we're honest, life runs a little more smoothly when we can count on enough of a routine to keep us grounded so we can fully appreciate our down time.

It can be a busy season, yes, particularly for parents. But it's also a great time to take a minute here and there to sample the treats late summer/early fall can bring …

A few more weeks of summer blossoms.

The crackle of dry leaves underfoot.

Huddling around a fire pit.

Birds flitting from branch to branch before they venture south.

The anticipation of pumpkin-spice everything.

Summer is wonderfully delicious in its own way. But there's an exquisite charm in its transformation to autumn, more so even than in the change from winter to spring. The warmth usually ebbs slowly in autumn, but can seem to take forever to revive in spring.

And while most of us are in a rush for spring to arrive, we're more willing to ease into autumn. Maybe that's because we enjoy the transition, or maybe — probably — we're in no hurry for what arrives as autumn fades.

As we're preparing this edition of The Herald-Mail, the forecast for the first few days of school is warm. (Well, make that hot.) It won't really feel like fall for a few more weeks. But the arrival of school buses in our neighborhoods is a sure sign those sweltering days are numbered. So enjoy the warmth while you can.

Here's to a great year for all our local students, from preschool to grad school. We wish you every success imaginable.

And we hope you'll find a few stolen moments to enjoy what truly is the most wonderful time of the year.