Good bye Summer

I ran into Walgreen’s last Sunday looking for some plastic folders for school and turned the corner and came to a sudden halt. “That is NOT a Halloween costume, is it?” I barked to the shopper with the bad haircut. “Uh, yes,” she said, eyeing me warily. “Crazy!” I mouthed. Deflated, I turned and headed toward the rifled through depleted supply of school supplies feeling fifty pounds heavier. I can’t believe it. It’s gonna happen again, isn’t it? Summer is going to end.

It started a couple of weeks ago. I stepped outside and caught that telltale whiff in the air, that smell of drying leaves preparing to drop from the trees. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Pretty soon other signs have quietly started popping everywhere, slipping up on me like snakes in the grass. A few fall items replaced school supplies in the seasonal aisle at CVS. High school football practice and scrimmages started last week. I bumped into a short stack of Halloween candy at the grocery store, and a buzz through Costco yesterday brought me face to face with an inflatable spider dancing to the music from Halloween. Fall is on its way, and is rushing in ahead of its time. Well, I have just one thing to say about that, “Wait, just a minute! I still have 26 more days of summer! 26! And I’m going to savor every last one of them. Take your cool weather, chili lovin’ self right back where you came from and stay there until September 22nd. Logan is very concerned about when summer is over and fall begins and must ask me at least once per day about it.

I do love fall. Fall will be especially sweet this year since it will be my first fall in 6 1/2 years that I will have uninterupted free time. School is a wonderful thing!! I know I will like the relief from the summer heat. The leaves are pretty, and high school sports kick in again. They’re energized by the change in seasons. I will mourn the passing of summer (except the school part again!!) I hate turning loose of the flip flops and shorts…and the glorious sun. The bad parts of fall mean jackets and jeans, rain, less daylight and the promise of winter gloom. No more waking up to bright sunshine that just won't let you stay in bed and no more barefoot walks to the mailbox. No more long days that give way to lightning bugs and hummingbirds. No more popsicles or homegrown tomatoes at the farmers market. Gone...all gone. For another year. Another long year. Eight months of having to wear a coat or at least planning ahead before going outside. Eight months of unpredictable weather and gray skies.