The Summer That Wasn't

There's a nip in the air at night.

Already?

Seems we missed the summer this year.

Just yesterday it was Father's Day, the beginning of summer, and now September is fast upon us.

No one meant for this to happen...........but the summer was filled with Family Matters. Illness, hospitals, hospice and finally a cemetery. Even though my Grandmother's death came as no real surprise, it didn't make dealing with the fallout any less difficult. The bulk of the load fell on my Dad, her first born. In spite of differences in recent years, she would not be happy with the burden her death and estate put on him.

Now her house is empty.......a strange site........soon there will be a loan closing and someone new will begin their story in that house........forty plus years later.



And so the "last summer of the decade" (as a friend of mine keeps reminding me) is getting ready to end and I guess that means the "last fall of the decade" is upon us.

Having always been fond of September.........we move forward to pinon wood fires in the chiminea,

the annual pepper peeling...........

a trip to the promised land (AKA Ouray) and this year.......

My 50th birthday...........