Summer's end

Summer rolled to chilly end yesterday, and here we are still clinging to August.
We headed down to Riley Park in Calgary's delightful Kensington neighborhood. Although not brazing hot, a cursory glance out my dining room window confirmed the sun was shining, and metaphorically, the birds were singing. Packing a picnic, the day seems ideal to celebrate our last sojourn to Riley Park's glorious cemented shallow pool.

Still adapting to the seasons here in Calgary, the idea that summer ends with the close of August seems so unbelievable. Just last weekend, I sat on the park's grass watching my four-year-old daughter splash, squeal, and soak in the sun. Under the wide-leafed shade of a maple tree, sweat trickled down my spine, and my hair flattened under the weight of sheer perspiration.

Although I reasoned that chlorinated joy of this brief summer season would end with the city's pools closing effective September 7th, I just assumed August 30th would be a guarantee-sweltering summer day.

Of course, guarantees are fragile in nature, and nature rarely accommodates picnic-related, pool plans.
Yes, the sun shone bright; however, on that chlorinated-breeze was the first lingering chill of fall. The mind whisper foreshadowing the impending winter wasn't enough to detour my fearlessly stubborn, red-headed daughter from donning a swimsuit and jumping into the pool. Rather the breeze was cold enough to draw a blue tint to her lips. Girl versus nature, she sat in that shallow pool clinging to her blue, hippo floaty for almost an hour. Perhaps she was willing summer's return or more likely fighting a seasonal return of the layers upon layers of clothes required to leave the house. Under shirt, thermals, shirt, sweater, wool coat, pants, pants, and pants--wearing one's wardrobe does become tiresome.

When I realized, my daughter wasn't giving up I realized to intervene. "Come on, we should go. You have school in the morning."

Basking in rich sunrays with a warm breeze against your cheek may make summertime memorial but starting kindergarten seems like a nice consolation prize for fall's return.