It's Done

Summer is over, done with for this year of 2009, to be repeated, in the year following, once autumn has morphed into winter, and winter into spring. This is the cycle of our years, the vast mechanistic organism within which we live, breathe, and enjoy our lives, thankful for everything that we have.

Our gardens are not yet prepared to wither, for the rain we've had in abundance of late, and the winds as well, have protected tender annuals and late-blooming perennials from the chilling effects of overnight frosts. For that too, we are grateful. Grateful to retain, at least for the short term, the luscious and lush flowers that so brilliantly colour our days.

In the ravine, every day brings changes. Today the thermometer was unable to bring itself to rise above four degrees. With the constant wind, and the rain, itself fairly constant but for the occasional window of cessation and the surprise of a moment's sunshine breaking through before rain returns, the trails have been littered with new-fallen leaves.

Not just leaves, but from the huge old pines scattered all over the ravine, the trails - as well as the underbrush have been inundated with pine needles. The effect is marvellously soothing; to walk on the soft needles, feeling them underfoot, to look along the trails, seeing an endless swath of yellow-orange lighting up the path.

The contrast of the needles in their soft, glowing orange-yellow, with green yet glowing on the trees above is balm to the autumn eye. And all the while, as we progress, needles keep falling gently about us, as do the leaves, gentling the landscape. This is not yet, however, the final curtain for pleasantly balmy weather in our sphere, for this year.

We still keep the faith, knowing that soon, before the end of this new month approaching, we will savour the memory of late summer for a few more days, with Indian Summer, when suddenly fresh breezes bring in warm temperatures, and we can imagine, for a few days, that Nature has relented and returned summer to us.

I'm awfully glad that another thing is done with. I had procrastinated, not wanting to shove myself out the door with yet another door-to-door canvass, but finally last week, did begin the canvass of my street for The Arthritis Society. Yet another canvass; I don't seem to be able to say 'no'. Though I did, for January, because the Heart & Stroke Foundation got to me first, for February.

Our near neighbours responded as they are wont to do, most of them, generous to a fault. Those who steadfastly refuse to extract from their comfortable pockets a few dollars for a charity are now given a polite bypass; no point knocking on those doors any longer. But the others welcome any charity I represent, prevail upon me to chat, and permit me to move on.

Done with, and we're moving on. Concluded, another wonderful summer. Finished, another charitable canvass.