In the soft gloom of an autumnal day,
When summer gathers up her robes of glory,
And, like a dream of beauty, glides away.
~Sarah Helen Whitman
American poet, 19th century
Summer has slipped quietly away, packing her triple digit robes of glory and heading south, I guess.
Autumn now greets me these mornings, wrapping her chilly arms around me, sending me back inside for a light jacket. But I welcome her - she's my favorite season. She takes my hand and pulls me outside to revel in her crisp mornings and blue skies. She invigorates me, reminds me there is still time to finish what I hoped to accomplish this year.
The past few days have been especially glorious, with mornings cool enough to rock on the front porch for hours, sipping coffee and getting lost in the pages of a book. I'm enjoying the weather so much I feel guilty, remembering our desperate need for rain.
I felt especially guilty this morning when the smell of smoke hit my nose as I stepped outside for my walk; because of the cool temperatures, my mind first smiled, somehow totally forgetting the nearby wildfires, imagining instead of a cozy campfire or a woodburning stove.
But in a millisecond I remembered the devastation and glanced all around, feeling fear rise inside of me. Nothing near us, thank God - smoke is just drifting our way, I guess. I prayed hard for rain and sent an apology to the victims of the wildfires out into the smoky air.
We took advantage of Summer's lingering sunshine and warmth this weekend by playing in a nearby lake with family and friends. (The sunset photo above was snapped from the car on our drive there. Click HERE for more photos of our weekend.) What better way to wish Summer well on her journey and let her know she'll be missed?
But for me, Summer doesn't officially end until I retreat to the coast for my 12th Annual Port Aransas girlfriend weekend. It's a wonderful way to celebrate the end of Summer and welcome Autumn... days are warm enough for sunning and playing in the water, mornings are cool enough for a run on the beach and coffee on the balcony.
Best of all, I have plenty of time to reflect on changing seasons of all kinds.
