When summer gathers up her robes of glory, And, like a dream, glides away.”
The morning is sunny and warm. This room, still in the shade, is cool and comfy. The nights have been dropping to the 60’s, perfect for sleeping, and will be as cool for the next few days. Crossing off items on my before-I-go list continues. Yesterday three bit the dust; already this morning one more is finished. At least three more will be completed by bedtime, and I’ll be left with the big one: packing on Saturday morning.
Last night was the final play of the season. I have no idea where the summer has gone. When I was a kid, summer seemed to last forever filled as it was with days and days of play. I was always surprised when we went shoe shopping, the first sign of summer’s end and the encroachment of the school year.
My favorite summers were when I was a teacher and didn’t work. Those were my traveling days, and I traveled all over, mostly in Europe, with just a few clothes in a backpack. The trips were usually 4 or 5 weeks long, and I went every summer. I had always dreamed of traveling to the ends of the earth to see the pages of my geography book come alive and those summer trips fulfilled my dreams.
My most amazing summer was training in Ghana where I stepped into a brand new world, something I couldn’t have ever imagined. I remember so well those first few days. They were like a dream. Everywhere was green. There were palm trees and there were lizards scurrying across the walkways in front of me. Women dressed in beautiful cloths and carried baskets and buckets on their heads. Little kids followed us. I remember standing just outside my room, on the second floor of the dormitory in Winneba, and looking below at the rusted tin roofs of the houses. I could see goats and I could see people going about their business. I was enthralled.
I love my summers now. My friends and I are usually on the deck, eating, playing games and laughing. We try to stretch the deck season as long as we can and usually last well into long pants and sweatshirt cold nights. The saddest part is when I have to close down in the fall. It’s the adult version of buying new shoes for schools.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Africa, backpacking, deck nights, Peace Corps training, summer, summer play, traveling, Winneba
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August 23, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Fairly warm with some sunshine and some showers here. Not too bad actually. Leafs are starting to change colors now and now I can see some yellow and some red spots here and there.
The biggest difference from my home when travelling was actually southern Portugal, everything was dry there and it was only along the coast line we could see some green. But I did like to see all the cork oaks along the roads 🙂 I never saw any bulls sitting beneath the branches though, as You know Disney’s Ferdinand the peaceful bull is very popular over here 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 23, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Christer,
Portugal is one of my favorite countries though I went north. Everyone else seem to be going south so I went as north as you could and still be in Portugal: the Douro Valley. It was amazing with such small towns they had a traffic light at each end so you’d know when to go through, Iron Age ruins, donkey carts and the border of Spain right outside my window across the way.
I love Ferdinand!
August 23, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Hi Kat,
3 more days? I would be stupified with anticipation. 😀
When I was a kid summer seemed to last a long time. There eventually came a point where I wanted it to be over and have school start just because it would be different from what I had been doing. Of course, a few days in school and I would want summer to come back.
It’s the same kind of day up here. Sunny and warm. I have no plans for the day except for knitting group this evening. I should do laundry. Correction: I should continue the laundry as there is a load that has been in the washer since yesterday afternoon. Things intervened to prevent my putting it in the drier. Things like pizza and a long walk with the dog. 🙂
Enjoy the day and the crossing off of pre-trip items. 🙂
August 23, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Caryn,
When I see 3 days my heart beats a bit faster!
You’re right-I too would get tired of summer come late August, but the drudgery of school was even more tiring.
I am more of the leave the clothes in the dryer sort. Sometimes they’ll stay there until I do another wash and am forced to fold and put them away. My spread is being dried now so my house/pet sitter won’t have the animals lie on it dirty spread.
After today, all that’s left is changing the litter on Saturday, going to the dump and packing!!
August 23, 2012 at 4:50 pm
One more day and the shakes have settled in. What have I’ve forgotten?
August 23, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Z&Me,
I have a list! I can’t think of anything. My ATM card was not on the list, but I remembered it today!
Now you have me second guessing myself!
August 23, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Summer is alive and well in Texas. Today the high temperature was only 93 degrees. But hold on, September can be just as hot as August but for a shorter number of days.
I have only been traveling for business in the last few years. Unfortunately, my recent summers were filled with keeping my kids busy during the long summer vacation. When I was a kid the summer vacation in Texas was three months because the schools were not air-conditioned. Now that all the schools are comfortable year round I am an advocate of year round school. When compared with the achievement of levels of kids in other countries our kids are way behind in areas such as math and science. The summer vacation was designed so the kids could help out on the farm. Today the family farm is a disappearing fantasy. Most of the food we eat comes from industrial farms. I think kids should go to school year round and take four or five weeks of vacation whenever their parents want. With online classes the kids could make up the vacation time. In Texas the school year is only 180 days. That’s half the year away from studies. No wonder the Indians and Chinese are going to eat our economic lunch in the future.
August 23, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Bob,
Here on Cape Cod, the fall is my favorite of all seasons. The ocean stays warm and our days are gorgeous. The nights get a bit chillier, but they are well worth the joy of each day.
The school year here is based on hours, not days, so the school day got longer to accommodate the new rule, but it is still only 180 days. I also want year round school but don’t agree about taking kids out of school whenever the parents wants. The on-line courses do not follow the same curriculum as the schools do so the kids would still miss weeks of content and with different kids dropping in and out all year for vacation, it would be a teaching nightmare.
The middle school is where the curricula needs to be revamped. It is there kids are held back on the simple math and science courses and have to wait to high school for the more advanced. Teach kids early!
August 23, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Justin pitched, I did business for the afternoon at Comerica. The good guys won, took a couple of extra innings but they got it done.
August 23, 2012 at 8:06 pm
My Dear Hedley,
My thoughts have turned to football. There is no joy in Mudville this season (okay, in Boston!)
My good guys keep losing!
August 23, 2012 at 8:14 pm
SUH !
August 23, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Speaking of summer, stopped by farmer’s market today & got some muscadine & scuppernong grapes. Trying to figure our which are best. Tough call. Both great!
‘
August 23, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Spaceman,
I would love to try muscadine & scuppernong grapes. I haven’t ever had one!
Enjoy!!!!
August 23, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Bucket list.
Scuppernongs are cultivars of muscadines. Native specie of grape. I don’t think they grow further north than about Virginia, but you might be able to find a muscadine wine, which definitively tastes like the grape
have a good time in Afrika
August 23, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Thanks, Spaceman!
I wondered why I hadn’t heard of them. The native grapes here are Concord grapes, just like the grape juice.
August 24, 2012 at 4:29 am
‘Its the adult version of buying buying shoes.”
That’s so true. But we, at least get to dictate when that is, and not by when school starts.
I guess that’s better?
Carl
August 24, 2012 at 10:37 am
Carl,
I think it better too. It means not being locked in a classroom for months and moths an months. It is just sad to see the end of deck season.
August 24, 2012 at 7:16 am
Concord jelly is such a staple it’s easy to forget how really good it is. Flavor explodes when you take first bite of toast. Hey, add a 1/2 cup of sugar, a little wine yeast, and an air-lock to a bottle of Welch’s concord grape – a week later – you get a decent bottle of vino. I have a couple new 2012 vintages in the making as week speak.
August 24, 2012 at 10:27 am
Spaceman,
I never thought of making wine with the jelly. It sounds so easy.
Thanks!
August 24, 2012 at 1:21 pm
juice dear, not jelly
August 24, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Oops, thanks Spaceman!
Nothing like lumpy wine!!