Cara/Andrea here . . .Wondering where the summer went!
In the U.S., this Labor Day long weekend traditionally marks the end of the kick-back lazy days of beach reading, country walking and just plain relaxing. As more and more of us are finding life becoming increasingly frenetic, with the demands on our time pressing in from every angle, this interlude where we’re given tacit permission to “turn off” the usual pace is becoming more and more cherished . . .
With many of us girding the loins to head back to “regular” work after the long holiday weekend, it’s interesting to contemplate that we’re celebrating “Labor Day.” In the past, the traditional workday was well defined. For centuries farmers toiled from dawn to dusk in a natural rhythm with the seasons. Long hours prevailed in other professions, but as workers demanded more of a voice, the standard day became the 9 to 5 routine of our grandparents and parents. What’s happened to us! These days, everyone, from grade school kids to octogenarians are wired to be on the grid 24/7. We never turn off and let our minds meander and play. Summer becomes just another few months that blur together in a whizzing around . . .to do what? Sometimes I wonder.
I am mindful of trying to stop and smell the proverbial roses all year ‘round. But summer is a special reminder—perhaps because of childhood and the heady excitement of exploring and playing while school was out—to breath deeply and appreciate the simple pleasures of the moment.
So in an ode to summer, here’s a snapshot of some of the things I’ll miss about the season:
Walking the golf course in early evening, plotting and playing in the shimmering light.
Wearing my flip-flops instead of Ugg sheepskin boots.
The sweet taste of just-picked wild raspberries from along a country road.
Watching the colors of twilight play across the water.
Picnics on the beach with friends.
Savoring the beauty of Nature blooming to life.
Playing hookey on a weekday to hang out with my best friends from college.
So what about you? What do you miss about summer when it's fading into the sunset?
For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is always pretty busy, I think. Christmas and New Year (and then if you’re Ukrainian, another Christmas and New Year!). It seems summer is so packed with parties and events you need another break afterwards!
Posted by: Sonya Heaney | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 02:26 AM
What will I miss about summer?
The pool.
The long days where I can walk in the cool morning or savor the setting of the sun near bedtime.
The social activities. My friends want to be out and about in summer, less so in winter.
The outdoor cafes where you can dine, people watch, and smile at puppies out for a stroll.
Fresh, in season, fruits and vegetables. I dread the return of the imported grapes and the hot house tomatoes.
Peek-a-boo shoes that show off my pedicure.
Posted by: Shannon | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 07:02 AM
I love each season, but I miss summer most of all. One thing I always miss is the opportunity to keep the doors and windows open so that I can hear birds and listen to the wind or smell the tomatoes ripening on the deck. And speaking of tomatoes, there's nothing like squatting down in the veggie garden to eat home-grown, organic veggies off the vine. Nothing--absolutely nothing--tastes better than a fresh carrot pulled right out of the dirt and rinsed off with a garden hose. Same thing with eating sun-warmed tomatoes so pungent and bursting with flavor that most of them end up in my mouth rather than the collander!
On the financial side of things, I love that I can turn off the furnace in May and not turn it on again until October. That's a huge savings in furnace oil and utility bills!
Posted by: Laura | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 08:10 AM
I enjoyed this post as a reminder of my childhood summers. I live in the desert now, so this is the least fun season. (Walks outside? Unwise. The garden? Could be mistaken for Mars. Eating on the patio? Only if your food needs extra cooking.) The one thing I love about August is the occasional WHOPPING rainstorm. The next day there's actually water in the river beds. For a few weeks, there is a sprinkling of green over the mountains.
Posted by: Katherine R. | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 09:23 AM
You, you all in the Southern Hemisphere do have a reversed social calendar, as well as reversed season. For us, the Xmas holidays create a well-needed bright spot of activity and revelries as winter heads into its solstice. Funny how those rhythms get ingrained! I would find it very disorienting to have Christmas in the middle of summer!
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 09:58 AM
Ah, well said, Shannon! All things to savor—especially the fresh local produce. Corn picked just minutes ago in the field is something I love about August and early September. And apples! But that's a Fall pleasure
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 10:00 AM
Oh, Sherrie, there's nothing like summer scented air blowing through the house. And the taste of REALLY fresh vegetables and fruits. Tomatoes plucked from the vine are a quintessential summer treat.
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 10:01 AM
Every region has its rhythms, Katherine. Yours is the reverse of our northern winters, when sometimes is daunting to think of going outside into the frigid cold. The rainstorms actually sound lovely, and seeing the land suddenly spring to life must be amazing. A great reminder on how resilient most of Nature is.
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 10:05 AM
What do I miss about summer? The easing of the threat of bushfires. I understand what everyone likes about the season - the smells, the food, the long sunny days etc., but here in Australia, I dread the heat, the drying off of the grass and the fear of bushfire. So my favourite season is winter. Sorry everyone.
Posted by: Jenny | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 07:34 PM
Jenny, Nature can be so splendid—and terrifying too. Don't blame you at all for dreading the hot dry season and the threat of bushfires. Having experienced a natural disaster via a hurricane, I know how devastating such things can be. Hugs and hope your coming summer will be rainy enough to avoid the danger.
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Monday, September 01, 2014 at 07:48 PM
Katherine, your comment made me smile, because for me, there is almost no better end-of-summer smell than the scent of rain on parched earth.
Anne, who is just moving into Spring dowunder.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 04:28 AM
Jenny for me, Autumn is the best season of all, with the threat of bushfires past, the worst heat of summer past also, but the days are still clear and warm and sunny and the nights are cool and delicious
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 04:30 AM
For me, it's the longer days of daylight. I just have more energy.
Posted by: Jackie | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 05:44 AM
Anne, I love Autumn too, the crispness in the air, the changing colors, the knowledge that it's fleeting, and bringing a colder, darker season makes me all the more aware of its nuances.
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 06:33 AM
So true, Jackie! The shorter days make one want to curl up in front of a cozy fire with a book and sip hot chocolate. Totally get the primitive urge to hibernate! LOL
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 06:35 AM
I like the longer daylight of summer.
As to Christmas in summer-- when we were in the Philippines itg was disconcerting to celebrate Christmas wearing shorts and sandals. It made me wonder why so many of us associate Chriostmas with snow. It wouldn't have been snowing in Bethlehem and half the world is broiling under a summer sun. Our Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus are dressed for icy winds and not tropical or even subtropical breezes.
Even Christmas trees are native to northern climes. I am not opposed to fake trees and have even put baubles on bamboo.
I like the fruits and long daylight hours of summer so I can do errands after work( to buy the fruit, quite often) but dislike more than moderate heat. We seem to have more flowers in spring or before the ehat sets in than in mid summer, though I must confess it has been some time since I saw anything resembling a flower garden.
Posted by: nancy | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 06:41 AM
I'll miss the garden tomatoes, although hopefully our plants will continue to yield into October. I also love being able to lounge on the back patio reading in the shade, listening to the leaves rustle in the wind, and watching for a visit from a hummingbird.
Posted by: Karin | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 07:41 AM
What a lovely post Cara/Andrea! I enjoy this part of the year so much when we are on the cusp of autumn and you can feel the change in the air. I do miss taking Angus out for his bedtime walk in the twilight. It's lovely in the summer because we often see the barn owl dipping over the fields and the deer grazing. But on clear nights in autumn we stop to look at the sky and often see shooting stars, so I'm not complaining!
Posted by: Nicola Cornick | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 09:35 AM
Nancy, that so true about the original Xmas! Maybe the northern climes developed all the hoopla because they needed something to brighten the winter solstice. A tree hung with candle and shiny ornaments—a plea for the sun to return??
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 09:40 AM
Oh, Karin fresh tomatoes is one of the real simple pleasures of summer! And corn! I console myself when they are disappearing with the fact that crisp apples are here!
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 09:41 AM
Nicola, I love walking in late summer twilight, when you can still see the wildlife coming out for the evening, and the colors of the sunset, which seem to linger longer in this season. But I love autumn, too. The crispness in the air, the leaves turning, the scent of ripening apples—all wonderful too. So am looking forward to the coming months!
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 09:44 AM