In these last days of August, I’m feeling lazy and lingering, almost as if I’m holding on to summer a little bit longer. Not so much the heat of summer, for I’m not fond of that, but the light, I think. And the beauty of the garden. I notice how the sun rises later and farther to the south. As it makes its way to the west a bit lower in the sky each day, I notice that it doesn’t shine in through the window next to me here quite as much in the late afternoon, shaded now by the trees. More and more of the garden remains in shade cast by the surrounding tall trees. The mornings are deliciously cool and moist with dew, the afternoons still hot. This summer was not as dry as some years so there aren’t too many yellow leaves on the ground yet.

Summer isn’t really over yet, but it seems to be a new season after the Labour Day long weekend coming up, with all the children going back to school after that. It’s a time of reflection for me, of remembering childhood years of school, then university, then teaching and finally as a parent sending my children off to new adventures every September. I remember my own anticipation tinged with a little fear on those first days of school, skipping in new shoes through crisp leaves in the gorgeous Indian summer days in Winnipeg, the very best time of the year there, I thought. Ah, nostalgia. I thought that was something older people do more, but even Erika has been nostalgic.

Back to the present, there’s something exciting to look forward to early Saturday morning on the first day of September, If you live along the west coast of North and South America. If you happen to be awake at 4:30 am, or decide to set your alarm, look for the Aurigid meteor shower, one that I’d not heard about before, but learned about from Feathers of Hope. I hope it’s going to be clear!

Another thing I’m looking forward to with September is the return to the printmaking studio and seeing old friends there, and meeting new, and getting back to printing. I’m also participating in a group show coming up soon, but that will be the subject of another post.

Happy (long) weekend, dear readers. Welcome to September.

PS. September 1st:
I almost forgot. Tomorrow is International Rock-Flipping Day! Check it out and do heed the warnings. You all know I’m crazy about rocks, so tomorrow I shall investigate what lives under some of them.