You know that summer has passed when it's time to reel in all the hoses and to stow away the sun umbrella and the plastic chairs, the outdoor table, and the other paraphenalia which are part of maintaining and enjoying your garden and lawn. So, this we did during the last couple of days.
It's time to "hunker down" for the colder days ahead - no more outdoor garden dinners or picnics for this year. Maybe we'll get some days with some sunshine during which sitting on the (covered) back porch will give us the illusion of summer.
This year seems to be passing exceptionally quickly in some ways, and yet it also seems to be endless in some others. Derek's fight with cancer certainly contributes to the latter impression.
