tail of the dog days of summer

Summer is winding down. The days are shortening just enough to notice and the temperature is not so hot every day. The garden is exhausted: the hydrangeas cannot hold their heads up, the day lilies do not explode by the dozen daily, and the roses are resting for their last hurrah before they retire for the fall. The farmer's market is full of vegetables. They seem to run riot at summer's end in contrast to their beautifully attired cousins.
Strange how the season's slow and graceful exit from the stage is so opposite from our emotions at this time of year. School is starting at month's end and the kids are a mixture of excitement and fear. We are gearing up for the change too: the sudden imposition of regiment, the struggle of early morning rising, the tears of late night homework, the exhaustion of young minds working out the mysteries of the universe. There's still time yet to sit for a moment on the porch for morning coffee or a glass of wine as the sun goes down. Time to walk the dogs after dinner in the warmth and stillness of the evening. Time to pause just for a moment and enjoy the shimmering heat of the dog days of summer.