Endless Summer

Yesterday was one of those days when I looked at my watch at 4 p.m. and said to my spouse, "Really?  It's not bedtime yet?"  It wasn't a particularly bad or tough day.  It just seemed to go on and on and on.

Finally I went to bed at 8 p.m.  The sun hadn't set yet, but the golden light stretched across the pines, maples, and oaks that I can see out of the bedroom window.  It was wonderful falling asleep with a view of the forest.

Admittedly, the word "forest" is a bit of a stretch.  While this part of western North Carolina is surrounded by all sorts of forests, I live in a neighborhood that has a lot of trees, a neighborhood between hundreds of acres of Lutheran church camp and a strip of shopping development (think Walmart and Lowe's and lots of fast food chains).

Here we are at the beginning of August.  Summer isn't over yet, but the end is in sight.  Here and there I see a leaf of autumnal color on a tree or on the ground, and it seems a harbinger.  At the same time, it seems that summer will never leave.

It's been a long summer for many reasons.  Would it have seemed as long and endless if I hadn't broken my wrist on April 15?  I know that buying a house was not on my radar when I thought about this summer.  We had an unexpected opportunity at the end of April, which meant that we had to put our moving plans on fast forward.

Years from now, when I think about this summer, I'll likely remember the endless packing of boxes.  Will I remember the stress of moving out of a condo?  Probably.  Will I remember how stressed I felt about our gravel driveway and the mountains?  Perhaps, but I'm realizing that a variety of deliveries happen in this neighborhood, and everyone is much more sanguine about the challenges than I was before I moved here.

Much like endless days, I look at this first day of August, and I say, "Really?  It's not October yet?"  But the light has shifted at both end of the day.  It's clear that the seasons are shifting, although one must be alert to notice it.  It's not the flamboyant changes of October, the chillier air, the pumpkins, the leaves changing colors.   But it's there, for those with eyes to see.