Summer Heat

Summer is in full flight now. The grass is turning brown from the sun and too little rain has fallen to feed the crops.
Fire bans are posted, with the vain hopes of preventing forest fires in cottage country. Heat alerts are common and smog is a problem in a lot of the urban areas now. The higher, aging, population often suffer terribly in the higher temperatures, from allergies and asthma related troubles. My own allergies have been at a peak this year, and I don't recall them ever being this bad.

Some of the local gardens are thriving, my own is doing all right with constant watering every second day. Watering doesn't take the place of a good, soaking rain. I hope we can have some good rains soon, preferably at night, without wind, lightning or any other natural excessive event. Tornados have already been occurring across Canada. Having been thru one already, I am in no hurry to ever experience another!
Still, I do enjoy the summer, the chance to be outside with my group of ladies, walking and laughing in the sunlight. I'll remember these times when the winter winds are howling and the full winter moons create such restlessness, that only a winter walk can release. I hope that the ladies feel the same! Bundled up against the elements, it will take all of my creativity to entice them to join me for a trudge thru the snows!

But for now, we listen to the birds, catch the sight of wildflowers dancing in the breezes, and bumblebees buzzing past our courtyard antics. My dogs enjoy lazing in the sun, waterbucket handy of course! My flowers are trying to inspire me by filling my home with color and fragrance. My knitting lies forgotten, as summer chores, outdoor cooking, and just enjoying the quiet evening filled with birdsong come first in Life.

And work, always work which takes up so much of my day to day, sees the advent of taking recovering folk for walks, for pointing out the roses along the way, to encourage the simple enjoyments of the summer season as it flits past, soon gone and mourned as winter treads heavily on our bodies and minds. To stop and smell the flowers, enjoy the sight of fledglings as they take flight, to listen to the cheery chirping of the goldfinches, and the peace of watching robins scavange for bugs on a quiet lawn...all are the inate joys of summer, and the stuff of memories on long winter nights.

Yes, I'm enjoying the summer, heat, drought, too many working hours and not enough days off to spend lazily on my deck with dozing dogs by my side....all part and parcel of living day to day in the short season of sunshine we Canadians love to see and hate to lose!
Hope you are all out making Summer memories, because Winter is chasing us down and that old seasonal clock is ticking relentlessly, and as we know, will not be denied!
(sigh)