Summer Half-Way Over

A disappointing thing this time of year is the realization that summer is half-way over. Yes, there is plenty of summer to enjoy, but today is July 14 which means we are on the down side of summer. The days will start to get shorter and the temperatures begin to cool down. Such a depressing thought. I always thought that once we reach the 4th of July (and I've heard many other people make similar comments), summer flies by. For me, after the first weekend in August, there's not much left of summer to look forward to. The first weekend in August is when my hometown's community celebration is held and even though I likely won't be able to attend this year, it's still an important set of days on my calendar. By then I come to realize that summer really IS almost over.

Lately our weather has been rather fall-like, which is putting me in this sentimental mood for summer. In fact today, it is only in the middle-50's and it looks dark and gloomy out - as if it's about to rain. We've had out fair share of rain this past week, not that we didn't need it. But it sure puts a damper on your spirits when you go through a stretch like this and it's supposed to be at least 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I guess we were due for a stretch like this. So far in the summer of 2007, we've had pretty nice weather - with even a few hot days mixed in. Hopefully the remainder of the month turns out to be nice and more summer-like.

I have already noticed a few true signs of late-summer around here. Hollyhocks are beginning to bloom; seems to be a bit early this year, but nontheless, still a late-summer flower already starting to blossom. Another kind of flower is starting to bloom as well and is another late summer/early fall flower. I don't know it's name, but it's a wildflower and it grows these little round yellow flowers. It has a pretty strong smell to it as well. Every time I begin to see these flowers grow, I know that we're heading into the later part of summer. Another sure sign of late-summer is the cicadas and the loud noise they produce. I don't know if you're aware of this creature, but they are the insect that creates the buzzing noise up in the trees on warm days. I never seem to hear them in the early part of the summer, however, late summer is when they're most prominent. The cicadas kind of split their summer with the June Bug, as the June Bug is more of an early-summer insect.

About a month or so back, I had the pleasure of sitting outside on the back deck at home on a warm evening and listen to the night sounds of summer. There's absolutely nothing like it. I even saw a bright flash in the air, which continued to blink on and off. A Firefly. Nothing brings home memories of youth more than seeing fireflies blinking through the night sky. It was a perfect night to set up a tent and sleep outside, in fact. But it was too late and our tent at home is so klunky and old, it would've taken me a good two hours of set-up. Plus, I'm rather weary of wild creatures roaming the backyard, so I just enjoyed the solitude and peacefulness of a beautiful summer night sitting on the back deck. Truly an enjoyable and wonderful time of the year. Make sure you get out and enjoy it before we're all stuck inside during a blinding snowstorm. It's not that far off, ya know. ;-)