Summer Doldrums

I just gotta say it: I'm not in love with summer.Now, don't get me wrong, there is much about it that I do like. After all, it's hard to argue with pleasant weather, shining sun, and the beach nearby.But I am not, by nature,  a summer person.I'd rather be too cold than too hot, and there is something about oppressive heat and humidity which I find  suffocating, both physically and emotionally.  With cold, there is always the option of adding another layer, or one more log on the fire, but with heat, once you're down to the bare essentials, there is not much else you can do.Perhaps because I have lived my entire life in Southern California, where we have only two seasons (Sun and Rain), I've longed to live elsewhere and be able to experience the full complement that four distinct seasons bring.  Even without those quarterly changes, my body is attuned to the seasons, and I can feel the subtle shifts of each internally.While each season has its pleasures, at heart, I am meant for fall.  Given my introspective, contemplative nature, there is something about the bitter-sweetness of autumn with which I identify.  The entire stretch, from September through December, I'm entirely in my element.Usually, in the dead heat of August, I start my Christmas shopping.  While I tell others it is because I am anal and don't like the holiday crowds, I think it is really my way of ushering summer out the door, hurrying it on its way.I'm never happier than when the leaves begin to turn, and we take our annual drives to Julian, Idyllwild, and Oak Glen.  I can wear my cherished plaid flannel shirts, much to Russ' chagrin, pull my collar tight, and breathe in all the scents that fall brings.  Pumpkins, apples, pears, a decanter of wine...  Crisp fallen leaves, holiday preparations, a Thanksgiving table...  Pies, scented candles, a warm fire...Our summer vacation this year is actually very autumnal in theme.  We are traveling to another sepia-colored time:  that of the Gold Rush.  And my prayer is that the mountain air and mining towns of yesteryear will fill my soul, providing cover until September.The trick, though, is in not getting so caught up in longing for another life or another day that you neglect to live the one you're actually in.  So I move on, embracing the here and now, and enjoying the pleasures of summer.  Fall will come, soon enough...http://youtu.be/Da2-DqOGb6M