Summer's Lease

It's my favorite line from a sonnet that I otherwise don't much care for:

summer's lease hath all too short a date

And it's true. We're back from the last big trip we will make this season. Daylilies are nearly spent. Sunflowers, zinnia, and the gigantic hibiscus are all in bloom. School starts up again in three weeks. I feel as if fall is rushing toward us.

That's no tragedy, of course. I love fall. It's my favorite season of all of them, actually. But this summer has been something else. There have been fantastic day trips, lazy pool-side afternoons, never a dull moment in the garden, and all-around good friends & family time. I honestly don't want it to end.