In the Wink of an Eye

It's August already, people!  MID-August, in fact!  When did this happen?  Probably while I was buried alive in my office, or huddled in the chilly air-conditioned bedroom hiding from the exhausting heat and humidity that has poached this rapidly waning Summer.  Okay, so maybe you knew Summer was flying by, and are wondering what sparked a similar realization for me.  Grapes. While watering the blueberry bushes this morning, I peeked over at the grapes....the Concords are definitely starting to purple up, and the Reliance--candy that grows on vines--are blushing, with just a whisper yet of sugar sweetness that lingers on the tongue.  They aren't quite ready, but in a week or two, our half-dozen Reliance bunches will be harvested (and gone!).  The yarrow and coneflowers are dry, tired and ready to call it quits, but admittedly, we haven't hit 'the moment' yet, the moment that happens sometime every August when you glance around and realize everything has a blowsy, stretched-and-tattered-crepe-paper, stayed-too-long-at-the-party look.  We're not there yet, but it's coming.....the squirrels are racing around gathering black walnuts bigger than their heads, parents and children are crowding the stores shopping for school supplies, the stars are falling from the sky (not that we've seen them with the cloud cover, but tonight, maybe).  Apples are appearing at the Farm Markets.  And one morning this week, while walking Yeti, I caught just the faintest scent of Fall on the breeze.  It vanished like a firefly's light, but for one breath, Fall made Her promise.....