Summer's End

 After days of stifling heat a welcome change was in the air on Saturday morning.  A cooling breeze had made its way across the miles from the Pacific Ocean beyond causing the window blinds to sway.  Outside we could hear the rustling of the leaves and the clatter of the wind chimes.  As I stepped out onto the front porch I could see clouds gathering from the west.  Watching them sailing quickly past, I noticed the sky was rapidly changing from bright blue to soft gray and I wondered if it was just marine cloud cover or if a storm was coming.  

The sky was mostly blue with just a few clouds when I first stepped outside.

You could hear the flag flapping in the wind.

Within a matter of minutes the sky was gray with clouds.

As it turned out, the clouds remained for a couple of days, but there were only a few sprinkles, just enough to dot the bricks before moving on.  By Monday the sun was back.  It was a gentle reminder though, that the summer is almost at an end.  September is just a few days away and school will begin next week after the long Labor Day Weekend.

It is time to stop and reflect on the passing season.  It has not been a summer filled with big trips, relatives coming to stay or exciting events to take part in. The Inspector has been recovering nicely from his health issues and it has rather been a time of sticking pretty close to home.  So there are no exciting photos or stories to tell, just a gentle passing of days and experiences.

1.  Summer Roses in a Vase

I picked these from the rose bush in my mom's garden, planted in memory of my father.

2.  Sunflowers rising up to the sky.

These are actually in my neighbor's garden but I can see them from my front courtyard every day.

3.  Deer in the Garden

Always welcome as long as they leave my roses alone!

4.  Fresh Summer Fruit

Fresh Cherries from the orchards over the mountains.

 

Raspberries from the bush I planted in a pot on the back deck.

There were a lot of berries for the first year and they were delicious!

 Ripe pears picked straight from the tree.

 

Then eaten fresh or canned for the winter.

 5.  Watching the kids learn to paddle board on the Lake.

Our son-in-law getting his bearings.

Our daughter isn't quite ready to try standing up yet!

6.  Helping our son move into his new home.

Backing up to a lovely greenbelt.

A lovely corner fireplace in the living room.

Our daughter-in-law and her mother putting the final touches on the bedroom.

 The boys are putting in the garage door opener.  Ordinarily The Inspector would be up on the ladder but he can't lift anything right now.

Unpacking the kitchen

 7.  Reading, Reading, Reading!

I have discovered the historical mystery series Maisie Dobbs and I have been voraciously reading them ever since.   I read the first book at the beginning of the summer and I am now on book number nine!

And so, summer is coming to a close and I am content.


 

A Quiet Day

I woke up to the sound of rain this morning.  It almost felt like an early fall day but I think summer will be back tomorrow.  The last week has been spent going through stacks of old papers that all needed to be sorted and that has required hours of shredding and organizing.  Feeling the coolness of the morning I decided this was a good opportunity to get away from this rather thankless job and do a little baking.

I baked a patch of Snickerdoodles, a family favorite.  Some will go to my oldest son and his wife who so thoughtfully sent over a pot of homemade soup for The Investigator when he returned home from the hospital.  Some are going into the freezer for later and the rest we will enjoy for dessert this evening.  Yummy!

I also went out this afternoon to pick some Gravenstein apples from the yard.  I thought I had better get some before the deer eat them all.  There has been a pair of young bucks who have been showing up almost every evening to munch on whatever has fallen to the ground.  I will make some of my favorite apple nut bread to enjoy both now and to place in the freezer for later.   I have blogged on this before here.  Maybe later in the week I will make some applesauce too.

Today has really just been a slow quiet day.  I think I am going to like this being retired.