the end of summer

Fall is beloved here in New England. The weather and the woods full of maples are stunning. My neighborhood has an unparalleled Halloween extravaganza. Apple cider, warm socks… there are a million things to look forward to.

Whit and I were bustling around the start of the school year and eager for a more rigid routine. Still, I found myself tuning into the details at the end of August and the first days of September.

Have you noticed all the crickets, katydids, and (in the evening) the tree frogs ceaselessly singing? They are loud now as I write this at my desk. The sparrows are eating grass seed and starting to gather in flocks. And despite the recent heavy rain, I’m continuously bumping into that “dry grass” sort of smell that reminds me of cross country practice in high school.

I filled out my summer checklist - the one I shared in June’s Inbox Treat. I missed a few things (how did I miss a skinny dip?!)… but summer was luscious and full. And as she fades, here is a photo sampling of the end of summer details I’m collecting and cataloguing.

Long shadows on my morning walks, fading and golden sun at 6pm:

Wonky blooms, berries, and fluffs:

a cornucopia of lines and textures

And the leaves have darkened. In May the trees were sappy and chartreuse, but if I were to paint them now, I’d mix crimson into my green. There are red undertones in the dark green as the accessory pigments peek through fading chlorophyl.

My tendency is to forever rush into the next thing. I’m grateful that nature is calling my attention to this fleeting in-between-seasons moment, asking me to enjoy the present.

We have just a few days of summer left.