Summer is Almost Over
It is not the calendar which alerts me that summer is almost over; nor has an anxious neighbor put out an autumn display of scarecrows, bales of hay, and deep orange pumpkins; I do not think they would dare quite yet.
Rather it is the laughing children on bicycles, the parents pulling wagons, festooned with beach towels and treats, toward the neighborhood pool, and those couples who can no longer hold hands, as they walk around the block, because they are pushing their walkers or carrying their canes. As they all seek one more day in the sun, they let me know that fall is almost here.
I see the piles of brightly colored leaves, collecting around the base of the trees; I notice that so many are accompanied by acorns, which are still green and wearing their caps. There are squirrels scampering about, stopping for a treat, before they run off to their pantries, which they are filling with what they see as delicious morsels.
Yes, this year is different; I do not hear the sounds of those ubiquitous backyard barbeques, or smell the smoke trail created by gatherings around the fire pits. The fields where the children play ball are noticeably empty, and perhaps there will be no apple picking or trick-or-treating; but I can still look forward to walking in the red and gold leaves, as a misty rain falls, and those autumn display of scarecrows, bales of hay, and deep orange pumpkins, when fall is indeed here.
Meanwhile summer is not quite over!
~ Cristina Jill Mosqueda~