Hurrah for Summer!

The season of fall is upon us officially as of tomorrow. Over the last few weeks we've had some chilly nights here in Millbrook. Our barn has had to be closed up tightly a few times and the horses have started growing slightly thicker coats. I've been wearing jeans and layers of polar fleece. The good news is that summer returned today, like an old friend who went away for a couple of weeks, but returned with a broad, beaming smile and I welcomed it back with open (and bare) arms. Our vistas are peppered with vibrant autumnal colors and we certainly need some rain, but the lawns are still green, as are our paddocks. I wasn't ready to surrender to the chilly temps and wind. It's been a wonderful summer season, replete with day upon day of warm temperatures and bright sunshine. I know it sounds greedy of me to want this warm bliss to continue, but I do, really. So, I'm thankful that we've got a few days ahead of us to sweat profusely and wear shorts again. Maybe this is the swan song for summer, but at any rate, I'll take it. I wish I could bottle it for the horrible days of January and February, when I'll be clad in wool, shivery and craving cup after cup of strong tea. But we northeners know that we can handle the cold, rain, snow, sleet, etc. that winter brings us. We seem to thrive on enduring the super cold days. Folks in the grocery store will turn to one another and say, " Can you believe that it's going to be single digits tonight?" And we'll smile and laugh, our carts full of roasts, stew meat and potatoes. Comfort food to keep us going when the going is...freezing. For now, I'm happy to smell the charcoal smoke brimming off the grill, fresh veggies chopped and prepped for steaming and warm, delicious breezes blowing in all the open windows in my house. Stay as long as you want SUMMER! For when you decide to retreat and relinquish your glorious days, I will mourn you. Because before we know it, it will be Christmas! Yikes.