Classes commence

COEUR d'ALENE - So, that was summer.

For throngs of North Idaho College students, the season's long days without classes came to an end Monday with the start of the fall semester.

The final farewell to carefree days of liberation from school comes in two weeks for most area kindergarten- to 12th-grade students.

Many students, teachers and parents are thinking a collective, "Already?"

"The weather didn't feel like summer until almost August, and now we're having cool mornings and cool evenings," said Lakes Magnet Middle School counselor Kelli Aiken.

Wylla Morris, a parent who was at Lakes Monday to register two of her children, said that despite a seemingly "too short" summer, her kids are excited to go back to school.

The NIC campus, meanwhile, bustled with activity as backpacks and books were matched with shorts, sunglasses, flip-flops and skateboards as students found their way around.

Wearing bright orange T-shirts bearing question marks, designated "campus ambassadors" were posted outside most buildings, ready and waiting to answer students' questions. With the enrollment spikes the community college has seen in recent years, there were plenty of questions - where to buy books, find a building or a parking space.

"We're expecting to see official enrollment numbers similar to the past few years in which the percentages of increase were in the double-digits," said NIC spokeswoman Stacy Hudson.

For NIC sophomore Hayley Smith, the summer felt "extra short."

Smith, a 19-year-old soccer player from Hayden, said she has been on campus practicing for two weeks.

"All of a sudden in August it got nice, and all of a sudden it was time for everything to start again," Smith said.

The cool, damp, early days of the summer of 2011 followed the third coldest and wettest spring on record, said climatologist Cliff Harris.

But recently there has been nearly nothing but balmy blue skies.

"A big high pressure ridge off the West Coast funneled moisture over us all spring, and then the high moved over us," Harris said. "It's like nature turning off the spigot."

That metaphorical faucet has been switched off for about 5 1/2 weeks, Harris said. He expects it to remain that way for at least another two weeks, maybe longer. Things are beginning to cool off though, Harris said; two days last week, the lows dipped into the 40s.

Still, it's been a great summer, he said.

Since mid-July, the sun has shined 92 percent of the time during the hours when sunshine is possible. Normally, the sun shines 78 percent of the time during those weeks, Harris said.

NIC student Lindsey Martin, 19, took advantage of some of that sunshine Monday.

Martin sat on the grass behind NIC's Molstead library, soaking up some rays as she read from a book for one of her classes.

"I'm excited to be back at school. I'm applying for the nursing program this year," Martin said. "For now, it's nice to be able to relax and tan while I study."