I felt a tinge of sadness tonight as I took my evening stroll down by the river, feeling that slightly perceptible chill in the air that usually signifies autumn is right around the corner.  I love summer, and this one seemed to go by too quickly.

I may complain during a paralyzing bout of acute heat, but it’s still my favorite time of year. Summer brings a freedom to life … toes that are unencumbered in open sandals, a luminous sky above your head while you dine al fresco, the robust sun that benevolently hangs around well into evening to prolong the day … there’s a lightness to simply being.

I wish I could bottle the summer air with flecks of sunshine and break it out in little pieces during the bleakness of winter, as a gentle reminder of these carefree days.