Holding on to Summer (or Autumn is Coming)

It begins... Last week, a coworker shared that she had been feeling more tired lately without the early summer sunrises. Two nights ago, the nighttime breeze coming through the window chilled me enough so that I finally closed it. Yesterday, I told a friend that I planned to go to Colman Pool as part of my summer fun list and she responded that I better hurry up, since it closes after Labor Day. And this morning, I woke up to Joy the Baker's Let it Be Sunday post with a link to an article on how August blues are like Sunday blues.

Of course, the hopelessly optimistic side of me realizes that officially, summer doesn't end until the equinox - at the end of September. My routines won't be changed by kids going back to school (aside from the traffic patterns - we live a block away from an elementary school). The day time forecast for the foreseeable future shows temperatures in the mid-70s to mid-80s. There's still plenty of time to enjoy the summer.

So I continue whittling away at my list. I've enjoyed 17 of the 33 items, finding joy in both the homey activities (grilling corn, squeezing fresh lemonade, baking a pie and packing a picnic) as well as the more adventurous (riding my bicycle to Vancouver (B.C.), kayaking someplace new, riding the Great Wheel and whale watching). Some things are in progress (knitting a baby blanket and reading Moby Dick), while others are planned out (for Labor Day weekend, we'll be camping before we summit Mt. St. Helens).

I'm also experiencing a bit of mourning for the things I might miss out on (there are only a few days left of crab season and we 1) don't have a license and 2) will be gone or busy most of those days). Realistically though, some of the things on the list are not particularly seasonal. Moby Dick can be read any time of year. Sewing is probably better saved for months of the year where I have trouble leaving the house.

My mood tends to be affected by the seasonal shift to darkness, so while I still have energy, I'm also starting to plot out some fun activities for fall. Suggestions welcome!