With all my coworkers mourning the last days of Idaho summer, I'm personally not losing too much sleep about it

Even with a somewhat mild summer - I only remember being outside on assignment in temperatures around 100 a select number of times - I still have a problem with the heat.

And even two years into my tenure, I don't seem to have acclimatized much to the Gem State.

See, in the part of Northwestern Washington I hail from, typical temperatures literally seem to hover constantly between 40 and 70, with extremes below 30 or above 90 the exception. And, since we live on an island, there's always a bit of a breeze blowing, making a light coat very handy.

Taking a look at the National Weather Service Web site, the temperature in Oak Harbor peaked Monday at 68 just before 1:30 p.m., settling to about 54 by 9:30 p.m. I am told by my relatives that it got a bit hotter earlier in the summer, but the trend never seems to stick around.

Don't get me wrong, the higher Treasure Valley temperatures ( Boise hit well over 100 this year) provide for wonderful outdoor opportunities: I'd never dream of floating a river in a T-shirt or even swim suit in Washington. And camping on the beach? Forget about it.

I just think I've personally had enough of the heat this year and I'm ready to sit back and watch all the fall changes from my comfortable back porch.

And the further we get from the heat of the summer, the closer ski season is, and I personally can't wait for the next round of Idaho outdoor fun.