Thank You Summer!

This is a transition time of year. In days of old it was my favorite time of year. As a younger person, late August/early September ushered in milder temperatures, new school clothes, reunions with friends, and getting back to a routine. I loved it and I can still close my eyes and imagine green leaves blowing the breezes on cool mornings. But then it would warm up and be sunny and warm and perfect by lunchtime. We'd take our school lunches outside and eat by the flag pole. We referred to it as sweater weather, but you would always ditch the sweater during the day. Perfect weather for football games, pep rallies, homecoming, hanging out with friends. Skipping school and having lunch at McDonald's. Plaid skirts and matching sweaters. Knee socks. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on the AM radio. It was the 70's. It was wonderful. And I always remember it being sunny! Although it couldn't have been always sunny.

Fast forward. In Alaska, it's always a bit of a surprise. This week has been cool and overcast with some scattered showers, but not without the sun's attempts at finding spaces to shine through. But surprise warm, sunny days aren't out of the question. Yet. But there is a feeling that fall is here and snow isn't far behind. Berries are abundant on all the trails and the fireweed is mostly gone. I am beginning to want warm foods like vegetable soup and chicken and dumplings. Today I am smoking last years leftover salmon. I wore a dark skirt and Danskos to work this week, had to turn on the heater in my car and those pesky yellow leaves are showing up in the yard more frequently. School and seminary have started so I am working more. Halloween candy is in the grocery stores. So I think "fall denial" is officially out of the question.

So, with that public admission, bring on the cocoa, turning on the fireplace, quilting projects, decorating the front porch for fall, trimming back the flowerbeds, more reading, paying attention to church callings and projects that have been neglected due to warmer weather priorities. I have to schedule a trip to Dutch Harbor this month and Kotzebue in October to do my duties there. We are spending Halloween week with David and Valli and new baby so that will be a treat! I am looking forward to all that the new season brings, but I will miss the summer so much. I hope it comes back next year.