August is slipping towards its end. It seems to be taking the summer with it - though apparently, there is one more heatwave to come.
We went to a riverside pub last night. It was so nice to see the golden trees reflecting in the still, flat water. With the exception of a few ripples where lazy ducks had dipped, the river was like glass. The gentlest wind picked out a few russet coloured leaves and flicked the tallest branches against the rich blue of the evening sky. It was a delightful way to end the weekend.
Sammy’s gone into work today. If ever anyone says anything about teachers having a long summer holiday, I feel ready to explain.
They spend the first two weeks detoxing from the previous academic year, the middle two weeks trying not to think about it, and then the last two weeks frantically preparing for the next one. It is intense. Also… they love a WhatsApp group, even in the middle of all of that! Oh the teachers! Some of them just can’t resist it. Or, more accurately, are terrified of falling behind and have to get ahead to keep up. Ping ping ping. Sammy had to archive a lot of chats this summer.
Anyway, she’s in today, getting ready for the new year. For me it’s just another marker post to the inevitable end of one season and the start of another. Cool breezes are lovely, and the world is very pleasant out there. But autumn is most definitely in the air.
And no bad thing! We love autumn in this house! Especially Keats’s Fall, when September really shows off. And after the endless weeks of heat, it all seems more welcome than usual.
I had a ginger beer. The lady had a raspberry and rhubarb cooler. Neither of us felt like swapping. We both had chips, and a prime view of the glorious river, lit by the rays of the setting sun. I can’t think of anything better.
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