These are the days I wait for all winter—the days of shimmery heat and goldy light, a light that dawns as pale as the inside of a lemon, bleaches to a white heat at noon, then sifts down as gold in the late afternoon. In the evening when the sun has set, the horizon is again pale yellow dissolving in indigo, a perfect backdrop for the mauve and purple clouds that settle behind inked in trees or tiptoe along the mountain ridges.
Today was such a day. The heat settled in before mid-morning, the sun spread its hot hand over the lawns and gardens and picnics and pools, leaving me panting and glad for cool water to sink beneath.
Before a late supper and a shower and a few pages of reading, before sleep, I took a walk to the pond to say goodnight to the frogs and the trees and the pink clouds. Swallows swooped and dove over the water, eating iridescent insects on the wing. A bullfrog harrumphed from the far shore and I harrumphed back. I drank in the sunset like a fruited drink, letting the warmth and the loveliness wash through me. Tomorrow is tomorrow. I will take today, all shimmery and goldy and full of light.
13 comments:
So often we're too busy fretting about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow that we forget to savor the moment we're in. Beautifully written, Pauline!
good job living for today...it was an amazing evening..clear skies full o brilliant fireworks...sounds like you had a good one as well...
I also like to say goodnight to everyone after a hot sunny day!
Molly - the moments make the day :)
Brian - a good job living today - I like that!
Tabor - I always say goodnight to the day and its inhabitants. It makes them part of my appreciation. Isn't it fun?
Today is today, and your yesterday was yesterday, and it sounded beautiful through your voice.
Love, love, love the last picture. We must savor these special aspects of summer as we try to ignore the soaring temperatures. Maybe it's a little milder where you are. We're getting socked with a lot of hot, humid, dangerous air.
Thank you, Ruth!
barbara - today is day four of steadily climbing temps. Yesterday it was 101 on my brother's pool deck (and that was in the shade!) Today is supposed to top that!
Here from Hilary's place.
I love lingering in every summer evening.
thanks for stopping by Deb
I wish I was half as prolific as you are, Pauline. This is a beautiful post and the photos are so calming and peaceful.
It's so very hot here as well. And dry. I can smell the forest as it hungers for moisture. My garden is crunched...nothing can live through these temperatures without damage.
It's unlikely rain will arrive soon, however, and if it does it will only spit a few drops here and there.
gosh, and here I am thinking I should post more often. The rain finally came though the humidity and heat are slowly coming back with the dying of the breeze.
yours is the kind of writing that carries me along as if i were walking beside you. so lovely to read and "see."
You express exactly how I feel about summer.. and you do it so beautifully.
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