My Visitor...

The end of June is within reach. Summer is well underway, humidity's damp cloak enveloping this southern region of the US of A. Every day is a mirror image of the next here. Hot and sunny days (in the 90's) with or without a smattering of white billowy clouds. Always accompanied by the frequently empty promise of possible scattered/isolated thunderstorms. Daily the skies will shift to varying shades of grey, a moody breeze swirling up from nowhere. The darkening world of evening will pass over us. Distant storm clouds rumble sending hopeful waves of anticipation. We may have the continual damp of high humidity, but we are experiencing a drought here. I have always been enamored of rain, and at the moment it is a luxury I crave.

Night before last (Monday) I headed out for one of my short but therapeutic walks. I had looked out the glass doors off the kitchen and saw the muted light of darkening skies. The tree branches and puffy garlands of Spanish moss were swirling in strong breezes. It appeared to be my kind of evening...but here so many of them are.

Camera in hand, I opened the front door expecting the usual warmth and moisture hanging thickly in the air. There was a moist feel to the air, but it was lessened by the playful breezes. The temperature also seemed to be a bit lower than usual. Yes, all of that was immediately apparent, but there was something else.

Walking down the sidewalk, my eyes were drawn to the beautiful blue-grey of the sky. The trees looked like the black paper of silhouette art, flat and stark. There was an energy I had missed. An energy I know all too well. I was standing at the front of my building looking across the grassy expanse between parking areas. Looking at the far buildings dotted intermittently by orange balls of lamp light. In that moment I felt myself take in a deep lungful of my visitor. Autumn had stopped by to say, hello. To remind me that it was not that far off. That the next couple or so months would go by quickly, and to never fear. If I'm patient, I just might not melt after all.

I had intended to write this post in the wee hours of Tuesday morning while the experience was still fresh. Distractions presented themselves as they are wont to do, so I wasn't able to settle down for it until now. The wait was actually a benefit. Tuesday brought summer's heat and humidity back in full force. The delay in sharing has allowed me to re-experience that evening in my memory. To re-run it.

Okay, autumn. I will see you soon.