so long, summer. it's been swell.

Alliteration aside, Summer is ending. That doesn't mean much here in Southwest Louisiana as we tend to take a detour around Fall completely by "enjoying" sweltering temperatures until the first cold snap. Oh well, we can at least hope for a bit of Indian Summer. The leaves are just barely beginning to turn and football is getting ramped up. Saints (Who Dat?!) host the Vikings in Thursday's NFL regular season opener.

Surely, sometime this season you'll want to break out the grill and host a house or tailgate party to cheer on your team of choice. This Old Smokey is a  classic and is pretty affordable. Sizes are 14, 18 and 22 inches. You'll want the 22" if you're grilling for a group. Fire it up, throw on some brats, pop a cold brew, and enjoy the game.

$30-60 @amazon