Monday, August 20, 2012

BUMMER OF A SUMMER


Dawn seemed slow to find its path over the eastern horizon this morning, as if night had a firmer hold on things—which in a way, it does. Even now, a couple of hours later, it's still only 56˚F outside, a precursive cool hint of changing times.

Fall is definitely on the way. And not just because of the later sunrises and falling temperatures…but the very mood of the days themselves. You can feel autumn heading in your direction long before the first maple flutters a single golden leaf.  

I hate it when I'm fickle. But the truth is, now that summer is on the wane, I don't want to see it go—not yet, even though I've said repeatedly that summer is my least favorite of the seasons. Nor does my reluctance to relinquish summer reflect a change in this attitude. 

What it does register, however, is the fact that I really don't feel like I've had a proper summer this time around. Not for Ohio, anyway. There's been way too little rain, and way too much heat. Maybe this is a Texan's idea of summer, but for a Buckeye, summer is expected to be lush and green, punctuated with showers, and certainly not fourth months of sweltering day after drought-seared day. 

I miss that summer. And now that it's obviously not going to happen, I feel cheated, robbed—seasonally mugged. The last few days have been great—green, cool, sunny. I've chased butterflies. Rambled trails. Gawked at wildflowers. But I haven't yet had my fill, my annual allotment of such summery pleasures, and I'm bummed.

Who would'a thunk…me fulminating over the passing of summer!     

10 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

That looks just like Jiminy Cricket to me Grizz.

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

He just flew in one recent afternoon, landed on a stem outside my deskside window as I was writing…and gave me a great big grasshopper grin. I snapped his portrait.

Wanda..... said...

Well, I'm feeling a similar way for the same reason...and my flowers aren't too happy either!

Grizz………… said...

Wanda…

My flowers wave fared terribly…a few zinnias, a handful of petunias, one little patch of marigolds, chocolate mint, and some really buggy looking roses. Of the 40-50 canna lilies planted, about three or four have grown big enough to bloom. And except for a couple of other single-plant blooms, that's about it! I was just out walking about looking at stuff and thinking how pathetic this growing season has been for me.

(Yeah, I know…whine, whine, whine. But doggone it, I like lots of flowers around—that and the great garden eats are the best part of summer in my book!)

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ - seems like the ole familiar essence of the seasons is changing. Last Winter was hardly a Winter - and now Summer is hardly a Summer - the heat and humidity were dreadful - and this week I am content with cooler temps and low humidity. Seems like change is every where - all around and within. And I have been remiss with something my friend. In all of my grief and upcoming major life changes I have neglected to ask how your heart is, the pace maker and so forth. How are you feeling?
Well, time to mosey - actually saunter down the stairs to the couch to read for a bit. My son Dolan sent me "Norwegian Wood", a very good read. And I also recently finished "50 Shades of Gray", Oh my, I blush at the mere mention. (I loved it tho, I say oh so softly-shhhhh, don't tell)
Love Gail
peace......

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

I've really enjoyed the recent weather, too…though the river is still pathetically low, and I do wonder how my smallmouth bass are doing. But you're right, change is everywhere and whether we like it or not—and no matter if last winter wasn't real winter, spring came and went in no time, a summer has been like Arizona—time tick-tocks along and doesn't care what we think about the ride.

No need to worry about me, I'm good, pacemaker and all. I feel a lot better now that it's cooler, but that's always been the case—I've never liked really hot weather, never been my perky or felt like doing much other than lazing around. I'm like a great shaggy northwoods bear and I need crisp and cold to get my sass up. BTW, still haven't forgotten about the email…

Take care.

KGMom said...

I agree that you can feel autumn on the way.
And I am not regretting summer's leaving. Autumn is, hands down, my favorite time of year. And sunset my favorite time of day.
No doubt, something psychological going on...or I just enjoy the quiet of time settling down.

Jayne said...

Same here in Georgia my friend. Seems we really didn't even have a winter before it got almost hot in April and the remainder of the months were sweltering with little rain as well. I miss the lush green summers too, and find I am quite looking forward to the reprieve of cooler breezes.

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

I'm usually more than ready for fall to arrive: by now I've had enough sun, plenty of lush greenery, and savored weeks' worth of fresh garden eats. I've raised flowers aplenty, chased butterflies, and lazed on the chaise longue like a recumbent hound. I've admired lightening bugs and listened to cicadas, gone catfishing, bellowed with the bullfrogs and wallowed in the river's pools. But this year that's all been aborted, thwarted, foreshortened, missed, and escaped to seriously run amok, to a far greater degree than any summer in memory, and indeed, any on the local historical record.

As you say, no doubt, something psychological IS going on! With me! The truth is I've had itI And I just plumb give up!

Bring on autumn!

Grizz………… said...

Jayne…

We didn't have a real winter (yes, I like winter and wish ours had been more in character) and spring came early and passed in a blink. It really just went from mild, rainy, non-winter to instant summer, and that back in March…which then promptly morphed into summer in the Sonoran Desert! Relentless heat and scathing drought.

Trust me, I've was watching the national temps (we have family in Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida) and lots of times, we've been hotter here than any of those places—and I'd be willing to bet we beat Georgia on many occasions. We Buckeyes just aren't physically or psychologically equipped to handle such an environment for so long. You'all got fresh peach cobbler and the blues. Even our sweet corn withered on the stalk.

Yup, c'mon autumn!