Saturday Slight

They seemingly appear out of nowhere. 

Blink, and you might miss them at the height of their intricate beauty. 

Soon, the delicate, exquisite exterior begins to weaken.  

Individual layers all too quickly turn limp and fall to the ground. 

Eventually only the pod, filled with seeds of promise for next year's floral magnificence, remains.

Poppies pretty much symbolize the summer season here in North Idaho. 

Suddenly, it's here in all its glory.  And, then, "POOF!" It's over.

Bill and I were talking about our seasonal phenomena this morning. 

And, yesterday, he made a special trip outside to tell me that he had just realized that his long-planned annual fishing excursion on the Coeur d'Alene River is next week.

"I thought you said it was in August," I responded----then, instantly catching myself and realizing that NEXT WEEK IS AUGUST! 

Where is this summer going, and why does it have to fly by so fast?  

Blink, and those poppy stems and pods---which each day are supporting such temporary but magnificent shades of pink beauty---will be crusty brown and soft, and some will still be standing IN FOOT-DEEP SNOW.

In two weeks, Willie will be back working in his classroom, preparing for a new school year. The county fair will be on. Fall sports practices will begin, and the Festival at Sandpoint will be drawing to a close.  School shopping will begin in earnest. 

In just over three weeks, Willie and Debbie's exchange student Emma from Germany will arrive in Sandpoint to spend the school year. 

And, "POOF!" summer will be essentially over as all that fall stuff that keeps us rolling will settle in.

When Bill had the audacity---during our brief conversation this morning---to suggest that pretty soon winter will return, all I could say was, "Ugh!" 

Then, he talked about how the seasons are hardly equal opportunity around here.  Heavy on one end, light on the other.  

Twould be nice, if poppies could last longer and the seasons could do a little flip flop once in a while.  

Fat chance!

So, we'll continue trying to take it ALL in and try to use every minute, every hour and every day of our precious, agreeable weather as efficiently as possible.  

Of course, while doing so, we'll make sure not to blink and miss any of the glorious and colorful eye candy still making its appearance all around us each day. 

We feel this urgency because we all know from past years:  it will be gone too soon.

Happy Saturday.