Don't Hate Me . . .

But today was the first day I noticed the change in the afternoon sunlight. And how dark it gets by 9. It's that time in August, the time that I suddenly think "summer's over, bring on September!". Tonight, there's even a beautiful, cool breeze that is very reminiscent of autumn.

I think this stems from the years that I went to summer camp. July was always the best time to go - hot days, warm evenings, lots of sunshine . . . perfect halcyon days. August was chillier in the evenings, dewier in the mornings, and the fields always looked less lush. I think a lot of it has to do with the light, when the sun starts slanting a bit differently. It used to give me a homesick feeling deep in my belly, which was heightened by the hum of cicadas in the dry and dusty heat. More accurately, it was a sense of foreboding, of how much I was going to miss camp and my friends and especially the horses.

While I will certainly enjoy the last few weeks of the summer, and our family holiday next week, I look forward with eagerness to the warm afternoons of September, to Indian summer, to the sudden crimson splash of the sedum in my garden. I will revel in the small town fairs, the apple picking and the pumpkin carving, the glory of the fall foliage, and the smell of frost and bonfire smoke in the air.

Yep, it's that time again. Summer's almost over. Bring on September!!!